silver firs farm

I am not a product snob.
I believe that quality is not limited by price tag or packaging or anything else.
In fact, I love independent beauty brands.
So here I introduce:

Silver Firs Farms

As a disclaimer, the owner operator magician, Kristen, is my friend.
But that doesn't mean I would brag about her unless she did awesome things.
And she does awesome things, lots of them.
I also whole-heartedly believe that she will take her awesomeness all the way.
So... you are probably wondering what she does.
She makes bath and body products from really good, high quality ingredients.
And I've been lucky enough to sample her lip balms and soaps.
She has options for men and women.

They all smell and feel awesome on the skin.
I can attest that she does the research to make the best products she can, and is even going one step further by continuing her education in skin care.
That says a lot for me, even though formal education doesn't necessarily prove skill or expertise.
I love the grapefruit lip balm.
And for my recent baby shower she gifted me some soaps.
I haven't picked a favorite yet, but you can see what she has in stock by clicking here.
I implore those of you convinced that commercial is best to give her stuff a try!

whish non-foaming shave cream

Totally slacked off on getting this review done!
I had it ready then life happen and I spaced it.
But this was my favorite item from the March 2013 Birchbox.
I had a feeling it would be.
It rinses clean, the smell isn't too much, and it works with any kind of razor.
It is fairly concentrated, meaning i didn't have a lot to cover so it should last a awhile.
I don't notice anything really moisturizing about it, though.
If you don't have a go to shave cream solution, it definitely worth a try.
People with drier skin types should still use a good lotion post shave.

DIY for skin

I saw this on the Eco tools blog and had to share!

More diy skin treatments...

Great skin doesn't have to cost a lot.
Once you know your skin type and any conditions, you can treat yourself accordingly.
Try some of these simple remedies:

Beat the shine!

With the warm weather approaching, here are some easy affordable ways to help beat the shine!

1) lemon juice- apply to a cotton pad then use this as a weekly treatment all over the face

2) milk of magnesia- wet cosmetic sponge then dip it right into the milk of magnesia then apply to the face as the ultimate shine control primer

3) baby powder- apply this using a big fluffy powder brush concentrating on your oiliest areas before makeup 

4) cornstarch- mix a tiny amount with your foundation for an amazingly matte finish that lasts potentially all day, you may need to use a bit more foundation than usual

Bonus- invisible solid deodorants work great as quick shine spot treatment balm

beauty DIY

Make a BiG batch to use as a body scrub!

yes to tomatoes towelettes

I picked these up a couple weeks ago to try out and I am pleasantly surprised. In fact they are now what I reach for in the mornings to wash my face gently, effectively, and most importantly with out stripping my skin or leaving a film. They contain a touch of salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid), which is a mild chemical exfoliate ideal for the occasional breakout or up to some cases of moderate acne. The Yes To brand is cruelty free, which is a big deal to me. They believe in plant based, eco-friendly, sustainable products that don't skimp on performance, and being affordable. The only this I do not love is the smell. The scent is horrible; it's medicinal and unpleasant. Yet, the good out weighs the bad.

dermalogica

I mentioned in my post yesterday that we used dermalogica products for our facials. Well it just so happens that we capped the week of with a dermalogica rep coming in and doing a 2-hour product knowledge class. I was pretty excited about it because I was already familiar with the brand, but little experience with it. And i want to know the science behind products. I don't want to bore you with it, although I find it fascinating, I will say the company is truly innovative. Launching and introducing new ingredients to the cosmeceutical industry in addition to being one if the first, if not the first to be cruelty-free from the beginning. This is huge for me. I don't want animal-by-products or testing to be a part of the products I use or recommend. The line is plant based and many of the products are multi-taskers. And several can be used on children specific issues like cradle cap and dry patches from teething. I'll go over some of the individual products I received in my kit soon, via video with a bit of a review of those products and the ones I have/will pick up between now and then. I real am quite infatuated. It is pricey, even with a student discount, but I plan on filling in one product at a time because i am at a point in my life where I am willing to pay for things that just work. In the meantime, I will using the 'say yes to' line which I'll review later.
Another thing that I love about the company is that they are huge on business education and making sure that the professionals using and supporting the line are getting the support they need to operate, grow, and remain knowledgable in their field. In concert with this philosophy, they have a program (joinfite.org) that helps women entrepreneurs across the globe get funding to get on their to independence. I forget how lucky I am to be a woman in the western world, where I can do and be anything I want. Now, the money is already set aside from sales of dermalogica's products, all someone has to do is join fite and vote for who you want to send funds to. That easy, and instead of paying the money back, the women are asked to pay it forward to another women in start-up mode. This is a company with integrity.