HAIR | Carina Organics Citrus Shampoo and Sweet Pea Conditioner

 

Purchased by me

Local love has been a focus of mine since the pandemic started and though I have shopped from Sephora and other American sites here and there, I have tried my best to keep it local (also I don't like the exchange rate!) and more importantly to products and brands that I truly enjoy. Carina Organics was started in North Vancouver back in 1972 and is still family-owned and run! Their claim to fame, at least when I first heard of them, is their shampoos and conditioners which are pH-balanced, vegan, cruelty-free, safe in rivers, lakes and oceans AND made with ingredients sourced locally! It really doesn't get better than that!

SKINCARE | Masking with My Tata Harper Trifecta

If you have been with me awhile, you will know that about five years ago, I used to work for Tata Harper. In fact, I was the first Canadian-based employee when the brand first launched in Sephora Canada! I took a year off to explore the world of beauty and skincare and even though it didn't quite work out, I look back on my days with the Tata team fondly and still buy her products because they are among what I call my "ground zero" products. These are the products that reset my skin when I can't quite figure out what's going on with it. I have reviewed a number of Tata Harper products over the years both through gratis (given to me while I was an employee) and purchased on my own and though there are certain products that do not agree with my skin or just don't do enough for the luxurious price tag, there are a few heroes that I have consistently repurchased and these masks are some my all-time favourites!

Purifying Mask was PR gifted

SHEET MASKS | ORGAID Organic Sheet Masks and New Honey and Brown Rice Face Polish!

Way back in 2017, I attended Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas, which is an annual beauty trade show focusing on beauty brands with cool technologies, so you won't be seeing anything boring! Favourite brands like Odacite, Purlisse and Pai were all there to showcase what made them different from everyone else and the lineup this year looks pretty amazing too! While visiting the Green Beauty area of the show, I came across the brand ORGAID, made in California and developed by Korean chemist Dr. Baek, and at the time, was exclusively a sheet mask only brand. Not only was the essence free of parabens, alcohols, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, sulfates and artificial fragrance, but what REALLY set this skincare brand apart from the others was the invention of a sheet mask material called Ecoderma!

PR samples

MASK | Truly Organic Rainbows in Mirrors, Star Fruit and the Star Kisser Jelly Lip Plumping Mask

On any given day, I'm masking some part of my body and though it is mostly my face, I also enjoy finding new masks for my hair and lips! When I was on my girls shopping day in March, I stopped in Nordstrom to look at some shoes and on the way out, a clean beauty pop-up caught my eye because it had a number of US-based brands that I had only seen online like Rael, Clove and Hallow and Truly Organic. I had seen so many colourful, millennial-bait style posts on Instagram for Truly Organic from glitter lip masks to unicorn body butters that I had to see what the big deal was! Was it all just for show? Or were the products actually effective in addition to being so cute that I hated myself for wanting everything?!

Purchased by me

SHEET MASKS | "Menstrual Masking" with Rael Beauty

I love it when a product lives up to its pretty packaging. I first came across LA-based feminine care brand Rael Beauty on Anna's (@maskaddict) Instagram feed and though she does share with all of us A TON of sheet mask brands, this was one of the ones that I immediately looked up, found on Amazon.ca and purchased 4 boxes of all 4 masks available! Not only was the packaging sexy, but I loved the sustainable materials and ingredients and the brand's story. Created by three South Korean women, Rael's main focus is feminine hygiene and menstrual care with their initial products being 100% natural cotton  pads, tampons and liners and added holistic care like the sheet masks intended to combat those hormonal skin freakouts we all get during our periods as well as provide some added pampering. I adore these sheet masks and have already signed up to receive on autoreplenishment in a few months because I KNOW I cannot be without these! 

Purchased by me

SHEET MASK | Boo Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Masks #EarthMonth

I am always raring to go when it comes to talking about sheet masks and though I now have far too many to count (probably around 800?) I never get tired of finding new ones to try! Last summer I tried my first brightening charcoal sheet mask from clean and Canadian beauty brand Boo Bamboo and now I have its three sheet mask siblings to share with you!

PR samples

HAIR | John Masters Organics Honey and Hibiscus Collection #EarthMonth

I cannot believe that I have the next three days off as that is practically a vacation for me and though today was a bit of a grocery day as well as blog photo day, I will try to enjoy the next few days off as best as possible at with my furbabies and Casey. I have already had a nap with Hugo purring away on my chest which I consider such a luxury to do since I am rarely home to cuddle them like that.

As we are approaching Earth Day, let us continue on with some more Earth-friendly products this time for the hair! I have seen John Masters Organics products for years in salons and randomly online, but it didn't dawn on me that they were a clean brand until I saw that Whole Foods carried it in their beauty department! John Masters products are free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and is safe for use on colour-treated hair. Their ingredients list for the shampoo reads almost like a skincare list! 

PR samples

SHEET MASK | Burt's Bees Hydrating Sheet Mask #EarthMonth

The next Earth-friendly product I have is one that I was unexpectedly disappointed with so it's possible I might get a bit ranty with improvements. Burt's Bees - we know and love this brand for skincare, makeup and being one of the earliest brands to have "natural" and affordable products right at the drugstore. I keep feeling like I want to apologize for what I am about to say about the Hydrating Sheet Mask*, but I just don't get how this mask can be given a passable rating and it seems I'm not the only one from reviews I have seen on Influenster and the Burt's Bees website!

PR sample

SKINCARE | Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream #EarthMonth

It's April which means more of a focus on Earth-friendly and clean beauty products! You will have to forgive the order of my skincare reviews as you all know that I take a loooong time to review things, but starting with what I started using over the Winter season, I reviewed quite a number of different things some of which I featured over on Instagram stories. I don't often care much about moisturizers because my skincare focus tends to be more on serums and treatments with moisturizers acting more like a "cap" for my illustrious routine, but I wanted to give a big, beefy blog shoutout to the Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream!

PR sample

SKINCARE | Dr. Roebuck's Tama Healing Mask

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Kim and Zoe Roebuck in a one-on-one session and you would never know that these twin sisters were in charge of a cult clean beauty brand.  Talk about Aussie down-to-earthness, these girls know exactly what is going on with their products and I felt confident that Dr. Roebuck's products were going to be a good addition to my skincare routine. Now, you know that I am super slow with my skincare reviews and I only got the chance to use their eye cream until this year when Dr. Roebuck's completely re-branded and came out with Instagram-worthy product packaging! 

PR sample

GIVEAWAY | Aromatherapy with Scentuals Natural and Organic Skincare

Aromatherapy was a necessary part of my life long before it became trendy as I try to avoid alcohol or prescription medications if I can as I have always been that 1% that gets that random unpleasant side effect in the fine print. I have a phobia of vomiting and nausea so the minute I know I can potentially feel sick from something, there is no stopping me so as hippie as aromatherapy used to be, it became a part of my life as soon as I realized I was prone to daily headaches, motion sickness or just having a hormonal day. I even get headaches from high air pressure so surrounding myself with scents that feel like they are opening up blood vessels in my brain and alleviating pain can take me from zero to hero so when I saw that Canadian brand Scentuals had specific headache products, my interest was piqued!

PR samples

BEAUTY | Cleaning My Makeup Brushes Naturally with Ativo Skincare

I think we all have a love-hate relationship with cleaning our makeup brushes and I swear sometimes that's why I have so many as to avoid washing them everyday! I am not the best at keeping to even a weekly schedule for cleaning my brushes, but three years ago I decided to try Sephora's Solid Brush Cleaner as a less expensive option for the Beauty Blender version and was so impressed that it has been the only brush cleaner I have used since. Then something happened last week. The Ativo Skincare Brush Cleaner arrived at my door and after using it I pretty much LOVE IT and will use it forever. 

PR sample

GIVEAWAY | Live Clean Fresh Water Collection

This month is Cosmetic Proof's 7th birthday and I look back at how I started, my photos and content and I am relatively content with my progress. I see evolution which is always promising, but the only thing I have always been hesitant to change is my blog template. This is mainly because I cannot stand designing ANYTHING and in the interest of keeping this space looking less like a magazine and more like a wholesome beauty journal, I have always kept things really simple. Part of the evolution process has included creating brand relationships with some brands having been with me for a long time and Live Clean is one of them! I know you all love their products as much as I do so here's to another year of blogging with this giveaway featuring the Fresh Water Collection! 

PR samples

SUNSCREEN SUNDAY | The Duo: COOLA Green Tea Makeup Setting Spray and Cucumber Mineral Face Matte Finish Moisturizer

In my last two Sunscreen Sunday posts, I kept referring to what I would consider one of my holy grail brands when it comes to sunscreen - Coola. When green beauty was getting more mainstream, Coola was one of the few brands that made a mineral sunscreen that didn't feel like you were applying a thick tar across your face! Even though years have passed and green beauty has come a long way, Coola is still one of my all-time favourite sunscreen brands and in addition to my old faithful Cucumber Mineral Sunscreen, I picked up a new setting spray at Curlique that just needed to come home with me!

Affiliate links

TEETH | Orally Fixated on My New Radius Source Toothbrush and Coconut Oil Toothpaste

When it comes to green beauty and oral hygiene, I am often torn because there are certain ingredients like fluoride that I really feel are necessary. Especially because the water in Vancouver does not have added fluoride in it, I do feel like it is necessary for me to get this mineral somewhere in my oral hygiene routine. Obviously too much fluoride is not great, but because I have weaker teeth, I feel very uncomfortable eliminating it completely from my routine. This doesn't mean I am not utterly fascinated by the green oral hygiene options out there because from what I have seen, there are many!

Through a recent blogger box, I finally got the chance to try green beauty oral hygiene brand Radius, which was founded on the Caribbean island of Tortola (NOT Tortuga, like in Pirates of the Caribbean!) and has an insane amazing commitment to reducing waste and being kind to the environment. I did not think I would be as impressed as I was with the products and was not planning on dedicating a whole post to the brand until I started to brush my teeth this magical toothbrush...

PR samples

SKINCARE | May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate

May Lindstrom is fairly new to the skincare game, joining many other luxury green beauty players we have seen emerge from all over the world. There has been a movement in skincare in the last 3-4 years that has opened up an acceptance for green beauty products to better represent the healthier lifestyle that is becoming more and more predominant. Within any space there will always be a spectrum of pricing and where we are going today borders on extravagant if not crazy for some. May Lindstrom's The Blue Cocoon comes in at the hefty price tag of $240 CDN for 50g, but before you pass out, I have my reasons for why I have come to love this gem of a product!

BATH & BODY | Avalon Organics Favourites + GIVEAWAY!

Some companies have been doing the green thing for awhile and are REALLY good at it, but when you first get introduced to a brand, it can be hard to know where to start when all of the products seem amazing. Avalon Organics are vegan (with the exception of four beeswax lip balms) and certified organic with their products being plant-based and soothing with essential oils and aromatherapy botanicals for specific skin types. I have found a couple of must-haves that are an absolute must-share and maybe perhaps we can give some of these products away? Hmm?

BATH & BODY | Crystal Hills Organics - Crystal Infused Skincare!

Last month I had posted on my Instagram stories about a local new-to-me brand that I found interesting, but had a few questions about. Crystal Hills Organics is based in Kelowna, BC in the gorgeous Okanagan Valley (their Instagram will have you wishing you could work your 9-5 job there) with a goal of using the healing power of nature to soothe, cleanse and protect and enhance the body. Crystal Hills has their own organically certified farm for all the grapes, herbs and flowers used in their products and the soil is enriched so that only the freshest and highest quality ingredients are used. Not only was I happy to learn of this, but also that the founder, Andrea Barone, has a background in Biological Science and Occupational Health and Safety. There are so many indie green brands popping up that I tend to gravitate towards the ones that have some scientific process or at the very least surround themselves with people who do. 

BEAUTY | The Live Clean Summer Beauty Care Giveaway!

I am not quite done with summer yet and even though Fall is slowly making its way into my wardrobe and makeup, I find myself still reaching for sunscreen, products to enhance my tan and my ever-rotating collection of TKEES sandals. Even though my last hair review for Live Clean didn't quite work out, these summer beauty products have been pretty awesome.

HAIR | Live Clean Biotin Extra Body Shampoo and Conditioner

This did not work for me. Normally, we all save our blogs to usually write about things we love and adore, but this is something that I tried so hard to love because why? It seemed to literally work for everyone else. I adore Live Clean products and their bath products fare better than their hair products for me because of how chemically processed my hair is. Now, that rainbow/unicorn hair is in I figure I can't possibly be the only one who struggles to keep my hair happy, can I?

Live Clean has some pretty awesome botanical-based haircare with the Live Clean Biotin Extra Body Shampoo and Conditioner* being released earlier this year. This is a restorative series made with biotin, ginseng and lavender (all three are near the top of the ingredients list!) to increase hair thickness, shine, volume and overall manageability. We all know how good biotin is for hair and nails and while ginseng and lavender restore moisture and give shine. Sounds PERFECT for what was at the time my green and blue hair, right?