Garden Review: Week 4

I'm of two minds about the product for this week. Yes, I was able to control myself and only test one product. Amazingly.

Creamy Cleanser (unscented)
If you thought of a basic milky cleanser, this would be it. It is the least drying of the three cleansers I ordered in my sample pack. It is a white cleanser with a "slippery" feel to it. There is a faint smell to it which I don't care for, but am willing to look past as it is not too overpowering.

*Picture will be added soon*

I took this on vacation with me and my skin has finally started to look great. My skin tone is more even, I have no breakouts and my "chin bumps" are starting to lessen. However, I feel like there are many factors that may have added to this, not just the new cleanser. First of all, I have stopped putting any oils directly on my face and I think my skin is appreciative of that. While I needed the extra moisturization during the winter months, I think my skin is now only suffering from dehydration. The oils have become unnecessary and perhaps a bit too heavy. Secondly, I cut down my skin care regime as I was traveling; I only used this cleanser, the Strawberry Hydrating Mist and the Majik Coconut Revival Cream (plus some eye cream) while I was away. Whenever testing new products, I always come back to the conclusion that simple is better and this trip proved that yet again. GoW has so many products that all do so many great things, that I think the layering of products is the norm. However, I feel that most days I only need to do the classic "Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize." I love the direction my skin is moving in now.

This cleanser is a little on the pricey side in my mind for something fairly basic. Because of this, I am going to spend this week using the Burt's Bees Radiance Cleanser, which is a creamy cleanser that I have used in the past. I know that I love my hydrating mist and moisturizer and that these are unique products, but I am not sure that I need to order a basic cleanser from GoW to use with it. The Burt's Bees Cleanser is $10 for 6 oz while the Creamy Cleanser is $14.30 for 4 oz. That is a moderate price difference, especially since I feel that I need to use quite a bit of the Creamy Cleanser each wash. If it turns out that this cleanser does significantly contribute to the look of my skin, I do not mind paying the price. But being able to use a less expensive and more easily accessible product as a cleanser and turning to GoW for their unique products is an ideal situation.

Garden Review: Week 3

There was no Garden Review last week as I felt I needed some more quality time with the products that I have been testing. But now I have three brand new items to review.

Strawberry Hydrating Mist:

I felt that my routine was missing one of these hydrating mists, as well as a few other products, so I placed a second order to fill the gaps. These mists can be used multiple times throughout the routine, but I use this right after I cleanse my face. I chose Strawberry because it is recommended for acne-prone skin, but there are many different options for the hydrating mists. I like the way this feels on my skin, but I'm not too keen on the smell. Many of the other items with fruit smell delicious, but this smells like the strawberries have gone a little mushy. I don't mind too much though, because I am seeing great results with this in my routine and I don't get that weird, discolored look I got when using the CocoBasil clarifying toner. When this runs out, I am going to reuse the bottle to make Jen's Vinegar Toner. 

Sorry for the blurry picture. Hope your eyes aren't crossing!

Majik Coconut Revival Cream:

This may possibly be my favorite item from GoW that I have tried. As you probably know by now, I love coconut oil. This moisturizer is as if coconut oil and heavy whipping cream met and had a baby. My skin was very dehydrated before starting GoW. Dehydrated skin is skin that lacks water, which can be aided by a moisturizer. Dry skin, on the other hand, is skin that lacks oil, which is aided by a carrier oil such as jojoba oil.  This cream feels incredibly luxurious going on and you only need a small amount. It leaves my skin healthy and hydrated. I really don't feel like I need anything else when I have this (though I often use it in conjunction with my argan oil or the Blueberry HA serum). As an added bonus, I love the silky-almost-matte finish the cream dries down to. It's almost like airbrushing your face! 

Some Kind of Wonderful Detox Serum:

This was the product that I really needed the extra week for. This is what the GoW website says about this product:

"When toxins and impurities build up within the layers of our epidermis, our skin becomes dull, gummy, often times exhibits signs of blemishes and in worse case scenarios, full on breakouts. A serum for all skin types that need a little "boost," this formula will help to detox the skin, allowing it to be radiant, glowing, and revert back to its natural beauty.
This serum also addresses bacterial and fungal issues, helps to discourage hair growth, and aids in the maintaining of skin elasticity. It may also address collagen damage in the skin due to UVB absorption, and may inhibit wrinkle formation due to UVB absorption."

The idea of a detox sounded great as I transition over to the GoW way of life. I have not been as consistent as I should have been with this ...no one is going to hire me as a research assistant anytime soon... but I do think my skin has shown signs of improvement. If you are worried about the word "detox" don't be. I didn't have a massive breakout from this product, just a few here and there and all of the bumps cleared up very quickly. Also, it helped my skin return back to normal after making a poor makeup decision. Two days ago my entire chin was red and bumpy. Today, it was clearer than before I started using previously mentioned makeup item. I think this is a good product to have at the beginning of a routine and I know that no one is going to object to some extra glow.

Be sure to check out my other GoW reviews:
Garden Review: Week 1
Garden Review: Week 2

Grocery Grooming: Coconut Oil

*The new feature "Grocery Grooming" will be replacing Garden Review this week. Back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.

As I look at my (ridiculous amount of) skincare items, I have noticed that more and more the items that fill the shelves come from the grocery store. So every other or week or so I will be featuring a grocery store item that I use in my routine.

This week's product is one I have been raving about on Twitter: Coconut oil. Coconut oil is an inexpensive product that can be found in most health food stores and many grocery stores. Interestingly, it is a solid at room temperature (this is due to the high amount of saturated fats). However, it is easily liquified by being run under warm water or applied directly to the skin.

I bought coconut oil months ago to use as a moisturizer. I dream about a grocery grooming exclusive skincare rountine and I was expecting coconut oil to be the answer to all of my prayers. (This is not as true now that I have discovered Garden of Wisdom.) I got a little ambitious one first testing this out and my finicky skin was not happy. I used it as a face wash and a moisturizer morning and night when I first got it. Needless to say, my skin was not having it and it resulted in a few breakouts which caused me to worry I was torturing my skin and so I quit completely. This may explain why I have so many skincare items...

Please excuse the odd picture. This is coconut oil in both a solid and liquid form.

I forgot about the coconut oil until a few months later when my skin was in dire need of hydration. This time, I approached it a little more slowly, first using it only as a moisturizer at night and then increasing my usage. Coconut oil feels great, smells like summer and leaves my skin bright, hydrated and plump. I was so happy with my results that I used it as a hair mask next. I saturated my dry hair with the oil (which takes quite a bit) and slept with a shower cap on it. I had to shampoo twice in the morning, but it gave my moisturized hair and it had released some of the weight of my hair, giving me a natural curl I didn't even know I had. A week later, I could tell that the effects had worn off at my hair was much less manageable. I even gave some to my mom when she had an allergic reaction to some Vietnamese food, resulting in a skin rash.

Coconut oil is often used in cooking. I have not experimented with this much, but I tried it spread on toast and it was surprisingly good. My next experiment will be using coconut oil for weight loss. There is a lot of varying opinions about whether coconut oil is healthy, so you be the judge from your own research, but I have read many accounts of weight loss from a tablespoon of coconut oil every morning so I will be starting that soon. For now, my skin and hair are happy and hydrated.

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Garden Review: Week 2

It's Monday again and it's time for another Garden Review. This week I exhibited a little more self-control and only tried two products. Weirdly, I'm not sure what to say about either product, but I'll try to give a sense of where I am at with them right now.

CocoBasil Clarifying Tonic

This was a product I added to my original cart on Jen's recommendation. I am prone to small bumps on my chin and she recommended this to help keep them at bay. There is a definite basil smell, which was not my cup of tea, but many people enjoy it. I sprayed this on after cleansing and let it dry a little before moving on to my HA serum. I only used this a few days though because it gave my skin an uneven tone. It's difficult to describe exactly what it did my face as there were no acne bumps or dry patches. It just made it look strange. I did not stick with it long enough to notice any affect on my chin-bumps (quite the image, right?), but I may have to give this another try.

Mandelic Acid [yes alcohol/ yes seaweed]

This is what GoW says about using Mandelic Acid:

Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps clear away dead skin cells that have built up on the skin's surface, and because of its smaller molecule size it can also work within the pore as well. Unlike glycolic acid, it cannot penetrate the skin's layers to enable deeper exfoliation, but it can help to refine pores. Mandelic acid has antibacterial properties.

I was excited to try this exfoliator as people have great things to say about it on the forum. I was expecting a burning or stinging sensation, but I felt nothing. Previous use with acids may contribute to my skin's lack of reaction. In the morning, there was no real difference in my skin. I only got a chance to try this once. As my skin is very sensitive, I try not to scrub, exfoliate, treat, etc. all the time. I have had much better luck when I keep my routine simple and gentle. I have not given up hope on this product. I think over time the results will be clear. Once I finish this sample size, I may order a larger concentration or try the lotion version of this product.

At the end of last week, I reexamined my routine, perhaps a bit prematurely, but these are the thoughts that aid me in my constant procrastination. I love my cleansers; after reading my post last week, Jen recommended mixing them with some oil to help avoid the flakes. I have been mixing Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser with a drop or two of jojoba oil and it makes it even more luxurious. I love my moisturization routine. However, I do have some spots and clogged pores and I felt like nothing in my order was targeting those problems (the Mandelic Acid may have some affect in the future). I placed another order for some samples so I can make an informed decision when I order larger sizes of a set routine. Stay tuned next week to see what I ordered and what I am testing out.

Garden Review: Week 1

I have a confession to make. This past week was the first week of my Garden of Wisdom experiment. I was scheduled to use one product, but I ended up using....

Wait for it....


Five!
I couldn't help myself. I have a reason (aka excuse) for all of the extra products, but really, it was just because I could not resist. And two months of incorporating products was just way too long for me. Not when the solution for perfect skin was sitting on my dresser. Keep reading for my reviews!

Oats, Milk and Honey Cleanser
This was the product I chose to test this week. I figured that I should start at the beginning of the routine. I loved the texture of this product; it almost reminded me of the First Aid Beauty cleanser, which has great reviews on Makeup Alley, that I have tried a sample of. There was almost no smell and a little goes a long way, so my half ounce container was a generous sample size. At this point, my routine was this cleanser, a Thalgo toner and coconut oil for a moisturizer. However, a few days into this, my nose started flaking with dry skin and it was probably the driest looking it has been all winter. This leads me to my second product sample.

As you can see, the ink will smudge if you get it wet. 

I plan on taping over the labels to prevent this in the future.

Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser
I then switched to this cleanser sample because I attributed my dryness to the other cleanser. This cleanser also has a smooth texture, but is green in color. A pea size amount is enough for my whole face and after working it between my hands for a few seconds it becomes a little milky (not foaming, which can be harsh on dry and sensitive skin). I also really enjoyed this cleanser, but I was still seeing some flaking on my nose.

Fruity Meow Meow Lotion
Since my skin was dry, I figured that what it really needed was some moisturization. So a few days into the week I added in this lotion. I have the kind with wax (which has not seemed to irritate my skin or clogged my pores). This lotion has a purple tint, glides on easily, and dries to a somewhat matte finish. Because of this matteness, it is not the most moisturizing product that Garden of Wisdom offers. It almost acts as a sealant.

Bluberry HA Serum
I then decided I must fully commit to the moisturization technique that GoW recommends. This includes an HA serum. I selected Blueberry to try first. I love the way this feels and the faint smell of blueberries is very pleasant. Once I added this into my routine, the flakes were gone. My current routine is: wash with Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser, apply the HA serum to a barely damp face, let dry, add some type of oil at night (I rotate between Jojoba, Argan and Coconut) and then seal it all in with the Fruity Meow Meow Lotion.

As for the fifth product, I am still working on my review, but it will appear in some later post.

I do not think that the cleansers dried out my skin appreciably. However, I feel that with a consistent, effective routine, my skin could calm down enough to show what it was really lacking. Before this experiment, I used different products every night. Finally, it had a chance to slow down. I have always had skin on the drier side. This school year it has been somewhat oily, which probably means that I was stripping my skin with products that were too harsh for my skin (I'm looking at you Arcona).

My skin is already looking a bit more even and I have had only one breakout (which could be purging). The spots I did have have cleared up nicely. This week I will be working in a few more products (hopefully I can limit it to one or two) and I am already planning another order from GoW.

In-Flight: Make-Up and Food

As I'm packing to go home for Spring Break, I thought I would share what I'm bringing with me on the plane.

Make-up:
I've always believed in looking pulled together for a flight. I fly in jeans and a sweater, not sweatpants and I would always go with a full face of makeup. Now, I realize how drying these flights actually are. For my flight tomorrow, I am slathering my face in Josie Maran Argan Oil for the flight and holding off on the makeup application until the end of the flight. I discovered the wonders of argan oil a few weeks ago: it hydrates my skin, leaving it soft, full-looking and glowing. When I first got it, I got a little too enthusiastic and used it day and night which resulted in my skin freaking out and then breaking out. Lately, I have been using it every second or third day and I have had no adverse reactions. (I have also been using it nightly as an eye cream which has not caused any problems. A few drops make my hair look shiny, thick and hydrated). Here is a picture of the products I am bringing on the plane:

Mac Mineralized Skinfinish - This is my current foundation as I am beginning to suspect my Bare Minerals is causing the little bumps on my chin. I am going to look for a more "natural" mineral makeup in the future, but for now I like the finish and wear of this product.

Smith's Rosebud Salve - I have literally been through multiple tins of this lip balm. It is one of the only products that keeps my lips moisturized and I love the finish. I have pretty pigmented lips so this comes off almost like a lipgloss. If you are looking for some more color, I highly recommend the Fresh Lip Treatments in Rose or Plum.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator - This is my current mascara. I don't have a real opinion on it; it works (as a mascara; I'm not sure about the lash acceleration). 

Tarte Lock and Roll Shadow in Sandstone - One side is a hardcore cream shadow that does not crease. The other is a roller ball powder eyeshadow. This is perfect for the plane as it's a two-in-one product. And sandstone is the perfect champagne color to make you look awake after a long flight. Quick tip: Roll the eyeshadow onto your finger and then apply over the cream eyeshadow. Your eyes are gentle and this rollerball is a little too harsh applied directly.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Zero and Whisky - A cult favorite; as you can tell I love the Whisky color (I originally wrote "I love Whisky"...not quite what I meant). 

This look requires only a few products, takes no time to apply and is easy to do from the plane seat. There is definitely more makeup coming with me in my checked luggage, but I could get away with just this. 

Food:

I hate that "travel stomach" feeling so I have been much better about stocking up on food pre-flight. I finally learned that M and Ms, while delicious, are not going to cut it for a cross-country flight. For this flight I picked up:

-Fage Yogurt with Strawberry - my breakfast, pre-flight. I find that eating something filling, like dairy or protein, before boarding helps me avoid that horrible stomach feeling. 

-Go Macro MacroNutrient Bar in Chocolate Crunch - I have never tried these bars before, but I'm hoping I like them as they are "organic, vegan, macrobiotic, and an excellent source of Omega-3." And of course, gluten-free.

-Rice Works in Sea Salt - I just read the back of the bag to write down the nutritional facts, only to discover that this product contains sesame seeds. I have had these before, reaction-free, but I am not going to risk it (especially while up in the air!). These are staying home.

-an Apple - I have been bringing apples on long flights since I was little. They just make you feel healthy, fresh and hydrated.

-Tea's Tea in Green Jasmine - Obviously this is not coming on the flight with me, as no liquid is allowed past security, but I'll have this in the cab ride to the airport. Antioxidants and a little bit of caffeine, the unsweetened way.

-Cadbury Crunchie bar - I'm a chocolate fiend, so this is my chocolate of choice. Cadbury says there are trace amounts of gluten in this product, so if you have Celiac, stay away.

I am very excited to have a break from my hectic homework schedule. I'll be spending time with my family and friends, getting ahead on some reading, applying for summer internships, and shopping with my mom. I plan to keep up with this blog so look for a post about my current skincare routine (including my upcoming experiment), my Birchbox challenge, a review of the Go Macro bar, and perhaps a "haul" if I find some good spring clothing with my mom.