My Top 5 Green Beauty Favorites!

The Tried. The True. The Coveted...

Hello Everyone! I decided that for my first blog post EVER (so exciting!), I would share with you all my top 5 favorite green beauty products. It was really difficult to narrow the list down to five, but I've included some tips, tricks, and details that will hopefully help you to discover exactly what makes these items so amazing.

1. 100% Pure Maracuja Mascara in Black Tea $25

• Purchase at:
• petitevour.com
• 100percentpure.com
• 100% Pure Boutique locations
• I really prefer to make online purchases from Petite Vour due to their amazing rewards program, beauty subscription box, samples, and super speedy shipping! Most of the time my items only take two days to reach me in California. 100percentpure.com always offers free shipping with no minimum and often times they run sales and specials site-wide so you're able to snag your favorites for up to 40% off. If you want to physically checkout the product, I recommend going in to the boutique. You'll be able to smell (this mascara smells like heaven!), feel, and experience the formula. The associates are also all really sweet and usually have samples!

• Ingredients:
• Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Coconut Stearic Acid, Pantothenic Acid (Pro-vitamin B5), Fucus Vesiculosus (Seaweed) Powder Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Passiflora Alata (Maracuja) Seed Oil, Extracts of Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Juice) Leaf*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Powder, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Powder, Coffea Arabica (Coffee Beans) Seed, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal), Passiflora Alata (Maracuja) Seed, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower and Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Vegetable Glycerin, May Contain Iron Oxides * Certified Organic

• Pros:
• This mascara may not be the most dramatic mascara available on the market; however, it is so supremely nourishing that within about three months of consistently using this formula, I noticed that my lashes had almost doubled in length and fullness. The rejuvenating Maracuja Oil and the caffeine and antioxidants from the black tea were no doubt assisting my lashes in becoming healthier, lusher, and longer. I can wear less mascara now and almost NEVER need to wear falsies.

• Cons:
• Of course you can't have it ALL! My only gripe with this mascara is that it cannot really build up on it's own as it is a more runny formula. For daily use, two swipes is all I really need. If I want huge doe-eyed lashes for going out or to partner up with a really smoky eye, I will usually need to layer up with a drier formula like 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara or Pacifica Aquarian Gaze Mascara.

2. Urb Apothecary Charcoal Clay Mask $20

• Purchase at:
• Urbapothecary.com
• Musely App Store
• Stripe Boutique Santa Cruz, CA
• Redemption Boutique Campbell, CA
• Homestead Apothecary Oakland, CA

• Ingredients:
• Calcium bentonite, activated charcoal, ho wood essential oil*, and powdered chamomile*, and good energy

• Pros:
• This super simple, yet powerful mask vacuums dirt and debris from pores in a matter of minutes. Whenever I'm experiencing more breakouts or more congestion than usual I make sure to use this lovely clay treat at least 3 times a week. I focus the mask on my cheeks, forehead, and chin; however, there are times I slather it all over. The clay formula allows your mask to stay preservative free and potent for a lot longer than a pre-mixed formula. I use little glass or wooden bowls with thick bristled fan brushes to mix up the clay with water, rose hydrosol, witch hazel, or honey. Bentonite has powerful drawing properties and charcoal's unique porous molecular shape allows it to bind with toxins. Because activated charcoal has a positive charge, it also binds with gram negative bacteria. Make sure not to use metal spoons or bowls to mix up your mask as it may interfere with the polarity of the charcoal!

• Cons:
• Honestly between the amazing price, how long it lasts, the efficacy, scent, texture, results...there is almost NOTHING I can say that's negative about this product. The only minute cons I can even think to mention are that- 1) The mask can be a little pesky to take off. With a warm wash cloth though, it comes off like a dream. 2) Sometimes if I let this mask dry entirely on my face, I'm left a little bit red. My super sensitive skin gets beet read after cleansing with a harsh cleanser however, so I can't imagine it being a problem for most people!

3. Gressa MINIMALIST Corrective Serum Foundation $54

• Purchase At:
• petitvour.com
• integritybotanicals.com
• detoxmarket.com
• gressaskin.com

• Ingredients:
• *Brassica oleracea (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes (and) Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Silica, GRESSA Healing ComplexTM *Silymarin, *Neem (Azadirachta indica) Extract,*Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) Extract, *Lemon Balm (Melissa officianalis) Extract, *Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) Extract, *Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Seed Extract, *Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra) Extract, *Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Extract, Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate Non-GMO, Coenzyme Q10, Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, (Vitamin C), *lecithin, *glycerin, mica, iron oxides, titanium oxide. *CERTIFIED ORGANIC

• Pros:
• The ingredient list of this foundation is not only impressively clean, it works to nourish, soothe, and improve your skin while you wear it. There are zero synthetic fillers or waxes to unnecessarily clog pores and create an occlusive barrier on the skin. I feel like my skin can breathe so easily when I apply this super thin, ink-like liquid on my skin. Broccoli seed oil provides a dry oil smoothness that truly allows you to buff coverage exactly where you need it without creating a cakey layer. Once the foundation settles and dries on the surface of your skin it creates a really soft matte finish that looks completely natural. I can buff 2-3 drops for a light daily amount of coverage or use 4-5 drops to build up some heavier, special occasion coverage. Gressa also has some amazing undertone and shade ranges that are great for those of us with tricky golden undertones!

• Cons:
• The only issue I have ever run into with this foundation is blending it onto my occasional dry patches. For those flaky bits of pesky dry skin, this formula can occasionally get trapped underneath and somewhat exaggerate their appearance. I can usually take this a cue to start upping the exfoliation and make sure I start using more moisturizing serums and oils. Although I don't usually like to use primers, I can get a quick fix for this problem by using a primer like the Luminous Primer from 100% Pure or the 1000 Roses CC Cream from Andalou Naturals. 

4. Trilogy Rosehip Antioxidant+  Serum $44

• Purchase At:
• Whole Foods Markets
• Trilogyproducts.com
• Amazon.com

• Ingredients:
• Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (tomato) seed oil (and) Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Vaccinium Macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil (and) Helianthus Annuus seed Oil (and) Tocopherol, Lycopene, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil (and) Tocopherol, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract

• Pros:
• This was the first oil serum that I ever fell head over heals in love with. I had been so conditioned over the years to avoid products with "heavy oils" with the idea in mind that they would clog my pores, break me out, and make my oily skin even oilier. What I began to find out, especially after using this serum, was that the more "light, nourishing" oils I exposed my skin to, the more balanced and clear my skin became. Rosehip naturally contains high amounts of vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta-Carotene (a natural source of Vitamin A). The naturally occurring Vitamin A helps the other vitamins and fatty acids to deeply penetrate the skin and aide in minimizing the appearance of scars, brighten the overall complexion, and provide smoothing and revitalizing anti-aging benefits. Trilogy's Antioxidant + Serum uses powerful antioxidants like Lycopene (from tomatoes) and Phytosterols from Cranberry and Acai Berry to increase the free-radical fighting power of this serum.

• Cons:
• I can't think of a single con for this product. It honestly has always worked well for me, worked well for those that I have recommended it to, and is always easily available to me!

5. Hurraw Coconut Lip Balm $3.69

• Purchase At:
• New Seasons Markets
• New Leaf Markets
• Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
• Amazon.com
• Integritybotanicals.com

• Ingredients:
• Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, ‡Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, *Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, *Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, *Theobroma cacao(cocoa) seed butter, *Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, organic flavor, Tocopherols (sunflower) 

• Pros:
• I was never a coconut fan during my younger years, but as I grew older and found the less sweet, toasty coconut products...I can't get enough! I picked up this lip balm at my local New Leaf Market after seeing it in a post from @organicbeautylover. These lip balms are so inexpensive and the ingredient lists are so impressively green friendly. The lightweight oils and the lack of beeswax in the formulas make them very silky and not waxy. They also have some really interesting Ayruvedic Medicine blends, a night-time balm, and an SPF option!

• Cons:
• Unfortunately, I suffer from INCREDIBLY DRY and sometimes flaky lips (I know, super gross). It's always a struggle to me to find lip products that deeply heal my lips. While this is definitely my daily go to balm, there are times where I have to use some heavier, nourishing products to really soothe my lips when they get inflamed. Don't get me wrong, however, this balm does its job better than the handfuls of other lips balms I've used over the years. I'm completely a loyalist to Hurraw's beautiful blends.

What are your Holy Grail Green Beauty Must Haves? Have you tried any of my favorites? I'd love to hear you comments and questions below!

<3 Sam