Dark chocolate and mint pair perfectly together in Acure Organics’ Acure for a Cure Lip Balm. This USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm is formulated with Organic Beeswax, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Organic Essential Oils of Peppermint and Spearmint, Vitamin E, and Organic Cocoa Powder. It’s simple, nourishing, and hydrating. The coolest part - 100% of the profits from this lip balm are donated to Breast Cancer Research!

I want to give 3 of you the chance to win one of these delicious Dark Chocolate and Mint Lip Balms. That’s not all though, I also want to give you the chance to win a balm for someone special in your life. That’s right! 3 of you will win a lip balm for you AND for a loved one!

To enter this giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter form below. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck!

(FTC : Acure Organics generously sent me several products to try for review consideration, including extra lip balms. I am not being compensated for this post.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dark chocolate and mint pair perfectly together in Acure Organics’ Acure for a Cure Lip Balm. This USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm is formulated with Organic Beeswax, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Organic Essential Oils of Peppermint and Spearmint, Vitamin E, and Organic Cocoa Powder. It’s simple, nourishing, and hydrating. The coolest part - 100% of the profits from this lip balm are donated to Breast Cancer Research!

I want to give 3 of you the chance to win one of these delicious Dark Chocolate and Mint Lip Balms. That’s not all though, I also want to give you the chance to win a balm for someone special in your life. That’s right! 3 of you will win a lip balm for you AND for a loved one!

To enter this giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter form below. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck!

(FTC : Acure Organics generously sent me several products to try for review consideration, including extra lip balms. I am not being compensated for this post.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Adina Grigore originally created several products for herself and her sensitive skin but now her line of healthy and eco-friendly products are sold online and at retailers across the country. Each and every one of Adina’s products are 100% pure, natural, and sustainable. S.W. Basics of Brooklyn is a “no-frills” line of skin care products made with 5 or less ingredients each that are either certified organic, Fair Trade, or sourced from small, family farms.

I’ve been testing out a few of their products, including all 4 of their lip balms, lately and have really been enjoying the simplicity of them. The first one being the Makeup Remover, which is made up of Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Olive Oil, and Organic Jojoba Oil. I typically make my own eye makeup remover but it’s really nice having a bottle of it all ready to go. The combination of oils is great! It doesn’t leave behind a film or irritate my eyes. It works really well and gets every last bit of makeup.

I have also been trying out the Toner for the past month and a half. I tend to use this toner during the day because it really helps banish any case of oily skin and prevent pesky pimples. The ingredient list is comprised of Water, Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Witch Hazel, and Organic Essential Oils of Clary Sage and Sandalwood. I don’t really like the scent of this toner, at all, but it goes away really quickly. It helps to cleanse my skin and help speed up the process of blemishes so it’s totally worth it!

Now let’s talk about their Organic Lip Balms, because they are fantastic! All four balms (Cocoa, Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Citrus) have the same base ingredients of Organic Beeswax, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, and Organic Cocoa Butter. The Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Citrus all have added Organic Essential Oils. I’ve been totally obsessed with all 4 of these balms and reach for them more than any other lip product lately. The Cocoa Lip Balm is my favorite, but the others are lovely as well.

You can learn more about the company or purchase some products of your own by clicking here to be taken to their website. You can also visit them on Facebook or Twitter.

Adina was kind enough to offer a Complete Mini Kit as a giveaway prize for you, my lovely readers. All you have to do to enter is use the Rafflecopter form below. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

(FTC: These products were so generously provided to me free of charge for review consideration by the company. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own and honest.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve talked about Conscious Box a lot on Beautiful Basics but if you’re unfamiliar or just need a refresher it’s a better for you and the planet monthly subscription service. Conscious box costs $19 a month and is usually at or above a $30 value. The company focuses on “sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.” The purpose of Conscious Box is to introduce its subscribers to pure, natural and organic products from snacks to beauty products and everything in between.

In honor of Conscious Box launching their brand new website (which you can visit by clicking here) they are giving all of you Beauties the chance to win a 3-month subscription! How exciting is that? A 3-month Conscious Box subscription has a $59 value that one of you will receive for free!
The new website has some really awesome features! You can now earn points for rating the samples you receive in your box and use those points to get some great discounts on your favorite products!

If you’re interested in winning the 3-month Conscious Box subscription just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck!

Open only to those of you in the US. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The majority of you seemed to be really interested in the Booda Butter I reviewed the other day so I contacted the company and asked if they would be interested in doing a giveaway for you Beauties and they generously said yes! If you missed the review you can read it by clicking here.

If you’re interested in winning your own tub of Booda Butter and a tube of the Booda Butter Naked Lip Balm just check out the Rafflecopter form below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello there! Are you ready for a Sampler Bag giveaway? The majority of you seem to really enjoy these so I decided it was time for another.

After so many of you complimented the bag from the last giveaway I have another leopard (or cheetah? I’m unsure of my animal prints) printed bag up for grabs. This times it’s filled with samples from Jason, Avalon Organics, Nature’s Gate, Harvey Prince, C3, Two Leaves and a Bud as well as deluxe sized samples from Out of Africa and Beyond Coastal. I’m also throwing in four full sized items as well from EOS, Verdant, Aromatherapaes, and Zeb Botanical Beauty. 

If you’re super sensitive to scents you might want to skip this one because there are many fragranced items in the bag (think perfume, lotion, and soap).

 If you want to be the lucky winner of the newest Beautiful Basics Sampler Bag all you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello there! Are you ready for a Sampler Bag giveaway? The majority of you seem to really enjoy these so I decided it was time for another.

After so many of you complimented the bag from the last giveaway I have another leopard (or cheetah? I’m unsure of my animal prints) printed bag up for grabs. This times it’s filled with samples from Jason, Avalon Organics, Nature’s Gate, Harvey Prince, C3, Two Leaves and a Bud as well as deluxe sized samples from Out of Africa and Beyond Coastal. I’m also throwing in four full sized items as well from EOS, Verdant, Aromatherapaes, and Zeb Botanical Beauty. 

If you’re super sensitive to scents you might want to skip this one because there are many fragranced items in the bag (think perfume, lotion, and soap).

 If you want to be the lucky winner of the newest Beautiful Basics Sampler Bag all you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey Beautiful! Welcome to December! This is one of my absolute favorite months of the entire year. I love being able to spend time with my family and of course I adore Christmas! Yesterday we decorated our tree and got the house ready for the season. Now that I’m officially in the Holiday mood I decided that today would be the perfect day to launch a new giveaway!

Are you ready for it? I have another Sampler Bag to give away! You all seemed to really like the last one so I created another one just for you!

This one comes with: Samples from Harvey Prince, Nature’s Gate, Jason, Avalon Organics, and Rahua; As well as a deluxe sized Organic Shea Butter Complexion Bar from Out of Africa, travel sized bottle of Body Lotion from Lanikai Bath and Body in Pikake and a full-sized EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm and Coconut Cake Soap from Zeb Botanical Beauty.

This bag would make a great gift for yourself or the beauty lover in your life. You could even break it up and use the contents as stocking stuffers!

I hope you enjoy! Good luck!

To enter please use the Rafflecopter below. Open only to US and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I feel like I haven’t done a skin or hair care review in quite a while so I decided that today was the perfect day to share my thoughts and opinions on the products of Beecology. They sent me quite a few products as well as some extra lip balms, which means that if you read through to the bottom of this post there just might be a little giveaway!

If you know me personally or have been following my blog for a while then you already know of my passion for honey. I think honey is a precious beauty resource so I love anything and everything honey based, which is why I was so intrigued by Beecology and their line of products. Beccology not only produces and sells a line of natural products made with honey, beeswax, and other healthy ingredients; they also give back through their charity, Sweetyear.org.

I first became interested in the company after reading about their Natural Honey and Botanical Sulfate-Free Shampoo and All-Natural Hair Conditioner. While I really like the shampoo, I wasn’t as big a fan of the conditioner. 

First of all, the shampoo smells so yummy! It’s slightly sweet, slightly citrus-y, and slightly herbal, which combine to make a delicious smelling shampoo. It’s formula is gentle and effective while providing the hair with brilliant shine and extra softness. The conditioner isn’t necessarily bad, it just has a weird after scent that I don’t like. I think it reacted strangely with my pH (which happens to me a lot). The conditioner seemed to moisturize my hair well enough but I couldn’t get past the smell. My mother loves both products though.

My favorite Beecology product is their Hand and Body Cream, which I got to try in both the Original Honey formula as well as the Cucumber and Green Tea version. Both versions work exactly the same and the formula is so luxurious and rich. It’s a very thick cream that is easily absorbed into the skin leaving it feeling hydrated and healthy, never greasy. This formula is perfect for this time of year! My skin has been a little dry due to the cold weather and this hand and body cream soothes my itchy skin. The original scent is a light, clean scent while the Cucumber and Green Tea version smells very fresh and like real cucumbers.

If your skin is feeling a little dull and needs refreshing then look no further than the Natural Honey and Peppermint Body Wash. This body wash leaves my skin tingling in a good way. It smells great, cleans well, and invigorates the skin with each use. It’s great for morning use and has become one of my favorites!

I was also sent 4 bars of their soap to try out and review, although I have only used 3 of them. The one I haven’t tried is the My Big Fat Greek Yogurt and Honey Soap, which has a juniper scent to it and I’m not a big fan so I’ll be talking about the other 3, which are the Honey Oatmeal Morning Peppermint Soap (perfect for perking up skin), Honey Lavender Soap (which makes the perfect bedtime bar of soap), and the Dead Sea Mud Soap (deep cleansing while moisturizing). All 3 bars of soap have proven to be really effective, are lovely to use, and smell great!

The final Beecology product I got to take for a test drive is their Buzz Balm Peppermint Lip Balm. This balm is made with Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Shea Butter, Aloe Butter, Cupuaçu Butter, Olive Oil, Peppermint Oil, Acai Butter, Eucalyptus Oil, Clove Oil, and Tea Tree Oil. It’s hydrating, soothing, and protective. It does smell a bit strong due to the oils but it’s not offensive, only medicinal. I was experiencing very chapped and dehydrated lips before testing this balm and it really helped heal and protect my lips.

I was sent several extra lip balms so 5 of you will get the chance to win a Buzz Balm of your own! Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win.

To learn more about Beecology and their products, or to order some of your own you can click here to be taken to their website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’re unfamiliar with Conscious Box, it’s a better for you and the planet monthly subscription service. Conscious box costs $19 a month and is usually at or above a $30 value. The company focuses on “sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.” The purpose of Conscious Box is to introduce its subscribers to pure, natural and organic products from snacks to beauty products and everything in between.

In honor of their first anniversary, Jameson has offered up one of this months special boxes for one very lucky Beautiful Basics reader. All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below - it could take a minute or two to load. Be sure to hurry and get your entries in soon since this giveaway is only up until the 5th at 9 pm PST. Open only to those of you in the US! Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’re unfamiliar with Conscious Box, it’s a better for you and the planet monthly subscription service. Conscious box costs $19 a month and is usually at or above a $30 value. The company focuses on “sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.” The purpose of Conscious Box is to introduce its subscribers to pure, natural and organic products from snacks to beauty products and everything in between.

In honor of their first anniversary, Jameson has offered up one of this months special boxes for one very lucky Beautiful Basics reader. All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below - it could take a minute or two to load. Be sure to hurry and get your entries in soon since this giveaway is only up until the 5th at 9 pm PST. Open only to those of you in the US! Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m really happy to bring you another review of a cosmetics company and their wonderful mineral makeup review today. Monave Mineral Makeup is the brainchild of Deborah Bilezikian, who had the dream of creating a line of simple, high quality, and high performance products. To read about the journey that Deborah took to create Monave click here.  

All Monave products are made using the highest quality mineral makeup ingredients. Their formulas are completely gluten free and 95% of their products are vegan (the other 5%, like their potted and liquid glosses, contain beeswax – the only animal byproduct they use!). You will never see parabens, dyes, or bismuth oxychloride in the ingredient list of any Monave products nor will you need to worry that their products have been tested on animals, because they haven’t! To check out the ingredients that make up each product you can click here. 

I tried out a few foundation products and love all of them! My absolute favorite, however, is the Loose Mineral Foundation in Kerrie. Kerrie is the perfect color for me and I’m so happy that it works so well. I have fair skin that has a slight yellow undertone. The website says that it’s perfect for those who have a “peaches and cream complexion”. The coverage this mineral powder provides is really remarkable as it completely evens out the skin tone without making my face look flat. It seems to last all day and stays looking nice. It works well on it’s own or over a liquid or cream foundation, which is something I like to do when I want an impeccably flawless finish.

I also tested out the Cream Foundation and Vegan Mousse Foundations in the color Claire. Claire is a light shade that works for those with neutral or pink undertones. I said above that I have a yellow undertone but it’s very slight so I can also use shades like this one. The Cream Foundation is a little heavier and thicker than the Vegan Moisture Mousse but both formulas are really great. Both varieties apply easily, blend well, and look nice on the skin while providing coverage. They both sink into my skin as opposed to sitting on top so it doesn’t ever look like I’m wearing a mask or too much makeup. I like both a lot but I’d say that I’ve been reaching for the cream version more often since it feels so silky smooth and since my Mom raided my makeup stash (which she is more than welcome to do as often as she wishes) and fell in love with the mousse.

I decided to choose a very neutral, every day wear kind of eye shadow to test out from Monave and ending up going for Crème Brulee. This shade is completely matte and works wonderfully as a base shade on the lid. It helps cover up redness and allows the eyelid to become a blank canvas, which is the perfect first step in doing any eye look. This is a bit darker than my skin tone so it looks nice on it’s own too. The formula is very smooth and easy to blend and work with.

The last product, and the only one I didn’t like, is the Mineral Bronzer in the color Gran Marnier. It is totally my fault that I didn’t fall in love with this product. There is nothing wrong with the formula, it’s just this particular shade doesn’t do anything at all for my skin tone. The powder itself is nice and smooth but the color I picked doesn’t really show up on my skin. On a brighter note - it’s matte, which is a quality I look for in a bronzer.

(Wearing the Cream Foundation in Claire, Loose Mineral Foundation in Kerrie, Gran Marnier Bronzer, and Creme Brulee Eyeshadow)

In addition to mineral makeup, Monave sells a wide variety of other products including facial and body skin care, hair care, kits to create your own products, and they even do wholesale. Deborah believes that “all women deserve high quality, natural makeup, so Monavé has a wide array of shades for all complexions, lifestyles and ages.” There is literally a Monave product that is perfect for everyone so check out the website today!

Monave has so graciously offered a DIY Natural Lip Kit for one of you, my lovely readers, to win! To enter to win use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy October Beauties! There is no better way to start the month off right other than throwing a giveaway. Up for grabs is a cute makeup bag filled with 21 different samples from the following companies: Jane Iredale, Harvey Prince, Sibu Beauty, Miessence, Absolutely Natural, LA Fresh, Lavanila, Giovanni, Sparklehearts, Jao, Honore De Pres, and Shir-Organic. There is also a mini-size Zoya nail polish in the color Caitlyn.

This bag is an awesome way to try out new natural products and have some fun experimenting. It will also be a fun surprise for the winner!

Good luck Beauties! To enter the giveaway please wait for the Rafflecopter form to load below! If you're having issues with it loading you can also enter via FB by clicking here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sometimes being a beauty blogger means sharing personal details that might be a bit embarrassing to announce on the internet; which brings me to my next point – I’ve always had problems with my underarms. What does that mean exactly? Well, I’ve always had to use clinical strength deodorant because I sweat like a man, especially when it’s warm outside. However; deodorant is one of the scariest and most unhealthy personal care products out there. Switching to natural deodorant was a challenge for me though because of my underarm troubles but I finally found one that I like!

The husband and wife team of 30someweeks.com contacted me and offered me their DeodoMom Jar and Roll-on deodorants (same formula, different applicators). I’ve tried a lot of natural deodorants with minimal success so I was a bit skeptical but I decided to try it anyway and I’m so glad I did!

The company specializes in toxin-free and hypoallergenic deodorant for pregnant women. Wait, stop! Before we go any further, no I am not pregnant. Their deodorant is also suitable for men, women, and children of any age who are health-conscious. Their deodorant is vegan as well as paraben, fragrance, alcohol, dye, and aluminum free. The deodorant is simply made with magnesium hydroxide and water.

For whatever reason, this stuff really works! I almost gave up on it though because the first few days left me smelling a little less than fresh. To be quite frank, I smelled but then the formula started working for me (I blame this one the purging process). I have been using for over a month now and I’m planning to stick with it. I typically apply once in the morning and once in the evening and I stay clean smelling all day.

I started off by trying the cream in the jar which is applied with your fingers to your armpit much like you would apply moisturizer to your face. It’s odd. It doesn’t gross me out but it just seems odd to me. I then switched to the roll-on version, which I like a lot better, although they both work. If you apply too much it can leave you with some white marks so just keep that in mind and it takes it a few minutes to dry so you are left with a temporary wet feeling.  If you like fancy packaging you might not like these products since they are very plain and simple, but that honestly doesn't matter to me. The jar costs $10 while the roll-on costs $12.

I also have to add that I cannot vouch for how well it works during a vigorous workout session or strenuous activity, so keep that in mind.

You can find DeodoMom deodorant online by clicking here. You can also be one of 5 lucky Beautiful Basics readers to win your choice of a cream or roll on DeodoMom deodorant by clicking here.

Today we are talking lip balm, which is one of my absolute favorite topics. I have said it before and will say it time and time again, the truth is I’m obsessed with lip balms. However deep my love for lip balms runs, I’m very picky. I consider myself to be a connoisseur of lip balm and love trying new ones. I recently got to pick and try several Eco Lips lip balms and have found love with all four of them. None of them irritate my super sensitive lips, are handcrafted in the USA (Cedar Rapids, Iowa to be exact), and are cruelty free, eco-friendly and made with certified organic ingredients.

The first one I tried (and one of you will actually get to win your own tube of) is the Eco Lips Gold USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm. This lip balm is Fair Trade Certified, unflavored, unscented, and highly moisturizing. Its ingredient list is made up of Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Baobab Oil, Fair Trade Certified Organic Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E, Organic Rosemary Extract, and Organic Calendula Extract. It’s a simple lip balm but it’s incredibly long lasting and hydrating. My lips adore this balm and anybody and everybody would feel the same way. This lip balm (and the one that is up for giveaway) came with an Eco-Clip, which is a handy recycled aluminum carabiner.

Up next is the Ecotints lip balm I selected. I chose Plush Red, which is a gorgeous sheer red shade that suits me and my coloring. It has a very slight vanilla scent and flavor. It is very moisturizing and provides such a lovely buildable color. I absolutely love tinted lip balms and have decided that this one is my new favorite. I want to purchase the other shades too because this tinted lip balm is excellent and worth picking up in every color. It is very natural looking and smoothing. It’s ingredient list is comprised of Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Castor Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Vanilla, Organic Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, and Candelilla Wax.

I was really excited when I came across a lip balm created in mirror image of my favorite juice by Honest Kids. Despite that fact that I’m 25 years old, I still really love the Berry Berry Good Lemonade juice pouches and couldn’t pass up the Honest Kids Berry Berry Good Lemonade Lip Balm. Made up of Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Berry Flavor, Organic Lemon Flavor, Organic Coconut Oil, Vitamin E, and Organic Calendula Flower Extract it is 100% edible. It smells and tastes just like the juice I love so much. It’s seriously yummy!

The final lip balm I chose to take for a test drive is the ONE WORLD Relax Calming Lip Balm in Lavender Lemon. This lip balm is made with Fair Trade Cocoa Butter and Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Vitamin E, Organic Essential Oils of Lemon, Lavender, and Sweet Orange. It comes in an oversized tube coming in at .25 ounces. It smells so good, although it doesn’t have much of a flavor. It’s hydrating, soothing, and the lavender helps keep you relaxed. The combination of real lavender, lemon, and vanilla is a winner!

To learn more about the company and their products please click here to be taken to their website.

To win your very own Eco Lips Gold Lip Balm with an Eco Clip click HERE.

How many of you Beauties are vegans, or just a fan of vegan products? Well, you’re in luck because Conscious Box is now offering a 100% vegan subscription service. For the first box, Conscious Box has teamed up with Brendan Brazier, former pro Ironman triathlete, bestselling author of Thrive, and formulator of Vega. Brendan Brazier is known as a top authoritative source for the vegan, plant-based diet, and has used his experiences to help create one of the most incredible Conscious Box experiences yet!

Conscious Box contacted me and is so graciously allowing me to host a giveaway of the first ever vegan Conscious Box. One of you Beautiful Basics readers will receive one of the highly anticipated boxes to test out. Each box is filled with a wonderful assortment of vegan lifestyle goods from snacks to soap and everything in between. Exciting, right?

To learn more about the vegan Conscious Box you can click here.

What do you have to do to win?
Just click HERE to be taken to the Rafflecopter form for easy entry

This giveaway will run for one week and end on Monday August 20, 2012. US only.

Summer is my favorite season so to celebrate the warm weather and gorgeous sunshine I’m pleased to announce the Beautiful Basics Summer of Beauty Giveaway! The winner of this giveaway will receive a prize package with beauty goodies perfect for summer that total $95! US ONLY but I do have an INTL giveaway coming soon!

Enter by clicking HERE

Summer is my favorite season so to celebrate the warm weather and gorgeous sunshine I’m pleased to announce the Beautiful Basics Summer of Beauty Giveaway! The winner of this giveaway will receive a prize package with beauty goodies perfect for summer that total $95! US ONLY but I do have an INTL giveaway coming soon!

Enter by clicking HERE

Hi there Beauties! I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. I got an e-mail earlier from Jameson of Conscious Box who offered me the opportunity to host a giveaway for you, my lovely readers. If you have been with me for a while you know I really enjoy Conscious box and even have a couple of reviews of earlier boxes which you can find here and here.

If you're unfamiliar with Conscious Box it is a monthly subscription service that arrives at your door full of pure, natural and organic products from snacks to beauty products and everything in between. This is a better for you and the planet box because it focuses on “sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.” The service costs $12 with a shipping charge of $7 but usually has a value of at least $30. Their boxes are made of recycled materials printed with soy based inks and filled with recycled tissue paper. They also work with 1% for the Planet which means 1% of every purchase goes to a good cause. Conscious box even helps to support the American work force by employing Americans who are paid fair wages for their work.

(FTC: A big thank you goes out to Conscious Box for allowing me to host a giveaway. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own and honest.)