Blissoma Holistic Organic Skincare Review

Oh Blissoma, the line that I've been lusting for ever since I switched to natural & organic cosmetics. This skincare line is made with top-quality ingredients, is certified vegan, raw, and organic whenever possible. Their products are packed with organic botanicals, bioavailable vitamins, essential fatty acids, and skin-soothing seed oils. Even Julie herself, the creator of Blissoma is formally educated in art and chemistry and has more than 10 years experience working with herbs and essential oils. Seriously, it can't get any better than this! I was thrilled when Julie agreed to send me some samples for review. I quickly fell in love with her products and am proud to say the Nuciya is the first online Canadian retailer for Blissoma! Here is a review of some of my favorite products from Blissoma:

Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser:
This is the cleanser that I've had my eye on ever since I went natural.  Made with organic whole brown rice flour, willowbark, and oils of Apricot Kernal, Hemp, and Sunflower this is the perfect cleanser for all skin types. It's unique ingredients make this cleanser suitable for acne prone skin, dry skin, normal skin, and even oily skin. The brown rice gently exfoliates the skin to remove dirt while the willowbark dissolves dead skin cells and helps to prevent bacteria build up. I have sensitive, dry, and acne-prone skin and my skin adores this cleanser! It is gentle enough to not irritate my skin but still has effective ingredients to help treat acne. Whenever I use this cleanser my skin is left cleansed, hydrated, and refreshed. As expected, this cleanser did not disappoint and is quickly becoming a favorite. 


Bright Eye Vitalizing Nutrient Serum: 
I'm always on the hunt for a good eye serum that will help to decrease under-eye puffiness and dark circles...then came Blissoma! Made with organic herbs, vitamins, omega fatty acid rich oils, aloe and skin-activated Vitamin C this serum brings life back to the eye area while leaving the skin smooth and supple. The interesting thing about this product is that since the vitamin c is skin-activated you never get more released than your skin actually needs. It also keeps working for hours after application. I tested this product for weeks before I came to a conclusion that it actually worked. While I immediately noticed results I wanted to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. For two weeks I only used the product on one eye to notice if there was any difference... and there was! My eye that didn't received the serum had terrible dark under-eye circles and of course puffiness. 

Here is when Blissoma says that you will notice results: 
Results that you can expect immediately: increased comfort in the eye area, decreased puffiness, plumping of fine lines, and last non-greasy hydration. 

Results that you can expect within 1 to 2 weeks: decreased depth of fine lines and wrinkles, improved color of under eye area

So far I am totally head over heels for this brand. Have you tried Blissoma before? What are your thoughts? 

Summer Essentials

With summer here and in full swing, here are some essentials to help you get the most out of this perfect weather!

Prtty Peashun Skin Tight Body Lotion*: This product seems to be on everyone wishlist this year and for good reason! This is pretty much a miracle worker to get flawless skin. Created by celebrity makeup artist Bethany Karlyn, this lotion contains subtle light reflecting particles that concealer minor imperfections such as varicose veins, scars, or even small bits of cellulite. Although this is not a self-tanner you can get this lotion in plain, light, medium, dark and deep dark to enhance your natural color. I received this in medium, which is pretty close to my skin tone. I do like a little bit of color so next time i'll opt for the dark! I think that this is a must have for special events such as weddings, birthdays, or even vacations - really any place where you want to look your best!

Laurel Sun Damage Facial Serum*: Another must have for summer as we all spend those long days in the sun. This Laurel serum will help regenerate your skin and help with cellular turnover. Made with key ingredients such as, Scarlet Pimpernel, Licorice, Sea Buckthorn, Gotu Kola, Rosehip, Chamomile and Marshmallow to help with skin discoloration, collagen loss, and as well as sun damaged skin. I put this on after I've spent time out in the sun to keep my skin looking youthful and vibrant! It is among the highest quality of oils and is easily absorbed into my skin. This serum also contains plants that have been linked to sun protection, such as Red Raspberry Seed, Carrot Seed, Sandalwood and Cistus. I seriously cannot live without this product!

Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate: I felt like I won the lottery when I found this on sale at my local Marshalls. This versatile product can be mixed in with foundation to give a sun kissed glow, used as a contour, mixed in with lotion to give your skin more color, or you can use this straight as is to make your skin looked tanned. I love using this on my legs when I am wanting a bit more color! This is definitely a staple for summer!

Little Rose Fields Organic Rosewater: I am a huge lover of rosewater so when I heart Kate from The Life Cake mention this product on instagram, I knew that I couldn't resit checking it out. Made from the famous Bulgarian Rose Valley from its unique soil and climate this rosewater is sure to have plenty of benefits for the skin. This can be used as a natural facial toner, as a skin refresher during those hot summer days, and can even be used to sooth insect bites.

What are your summer essentials this year? 

*Indicates PR Sample 

Petit Vour Luxury Vegan Beauty Box - June 2014 Review

Just recently I started hearing a lot about the Petit Bour Luxury Vegan Beauty Box. Every month their boxes seem to be a hit and for just $15 for US residents, $23 for those in Canada, and $30 for international customers you can't go wrong! I was thrilled when Petit Vour contacted me to review their June beauty box.

Here's what I received:

TAY Rosehip Balancing Cleanser with Seabuckthorn - sample: 
This was probably my most favorite item to receive as the bamboo packaging immediately caught my attention. I've been wanting to try more products with seabuckthorn so I can't wait to try this out.

MUN No.1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum- 1 ml sample: 
I'm a huge fan of MUN products (full review to come in the future!) so anymore that I can get of this product i'm all over. I love this oil because you see immediate results and it works for all skin types! When they said luxury, they meant it!

NCLA Let's Stay Forever Nail Lacquer - full size $18:
This is the first time that I'm trying and hearing of this 5-free nail polish. It comes in the perfect color for summer, so I think that I'll be using this quite a bit!

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner Travel Size $17:
This is another new brand for me! I was immediately surprised by the strong scent and quickly looked at the ingredients. It's very surprising that this can smell like a traditional shampoo but have no synthetic fragrance. Overall the ingredients in this shampoo/conditioner duo aren't too bad so I can see myself trying these out right away.


I am absolutely so happy with this months box! I really love it when beauty boxes have items from all different categories (ie. skincare, hair care, nails, etc.). To me it really shows that there was thought and consideration when picking out the items for the month. Like I've said before, I hate it when you get tons of lotions or hand creams in beauty boxes... in my opinion most times we already have enough of those lying around. That being said this month was a huge success for me and I will seriously consider subscribing to this box in the future!

What is your favorite monthly beauty box? 

Scotch Naturals Nail Polish Review

When I first 'went green', Scotch Naturals was a brand that caught my eye over and over again. What can I say, I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging and colors! Their products are less toxic than 3-free or even 5-free polishes, and it shows in the smell. Scotch polishes don't have that nasty chemical smell that all my other polishes seem to have. Because of the non-toxic ingredients used in these products, in order to get a lasting polish you'll need to follow a very specific set of steps:

1. Add a drop of jojoba oil to each nail and buff gently. 

2. Wash hands with soap and water to rinse remover residue and buffing dust. 

3. Apply 1 cost of the fortifying base coat.
4. Follow with 2 coats of polish allowing 1-3 minutes in between costs.
5. Finish with 1-2 coats of the deluxe top coat for a high gloss shine. 

To remove polish: Soak nails in warm water for a few minutes. Pre-moisten all nails with remover allowing time for polish to soften. Then moisten a cotton round and rub across nails to remove.

I followed these steps exactly and my polish lasted for 3-4 days! The base coat is a "sticky" base so it will allow the polish to stick to your nail-bed. I find this to be a very important step because the polish will not last without it. I spoke with Maureen (Sales Representative) from Scotch Naturals and asked her about this. Here's what she had to say:

"We feel it is necessary to use our Base Coat at all times. As you know, our base coat is "sticky". This is because we want our base to stick to our nail-bed, while adhering to our nail polish. Although, we have many customers that do not use our base coat and are very happy with their manicures. It all depends on how healthy and hydrated our nails are. If they are dehydrated, our nail polish will not stay on as long."

With that being said I will address some reviews that I've come across on the internet. Before I tried Scotch Naturals, I read a lot of reviews of people saying that they followed these steps and still their polish chipped off within a few hours. I believe that if your nail beds are extremely dehydrated from traditional nail polishes and removers, you'll have a hard time with Scotch Naturals products. I believe that the reason why I had such a good experience with the Scotch Naturals polish is partially because my nail-beds are healthy and hydrated. I haven't used traditional nail polish or nail polish remover in over a year, so my nail-beds are in pretty good shape!

Picture uploaded via Instgram 

On another note, I also found these polishes SO easy to apply. Because they are a water-based formula the polish itself wasn't thick. I was able to easily and accurately apply my layers of polish. This says a lot because I'm usually not the best when it comes to painting nails!

Where to Buy: www.nuciya.com 

Have you tried Scotch Naturals before? What are your thoughts? 

Current Favorites: Hair Care

Yarok Feed Your Moisture Shampoo:

About a month ago Yarok kindly sent me their newest shampoo for review! I've been a huge fan of Yarok products ever since I entered the green beauty world. Their newest shampoo is made with organic african black soap, argan oil, coconut oil, and hemp oil. It is 100% natural, vegan, and is perfect for curly or color treated hair (perfect, I have both curly and color treated hair!). When using this my hair feels perfectly clean. Sometimes when using natural shampoos it can leave your hair feeling like it needs to be shampooed 2-3 times. However, this usually does the trick for me just after one shampoo. Since using this shampoo my hair has felt so much more healthier and softer. A little of this product goes a long way. In a months time I've only used about 1/4 of this 12 oz bottle (I have a ton of hair!). The best part is that this shampoo has aromas of orange, ylang ylang, and rosemary. It smells so good. For some reason (don't ask why!) the scent reminds me of bubble gum!

Ingredients: Aqua (Vitamin Infused Water), Cocos nucifera (Saponified Coconut), Fair Trade Organic African Black Soap, Argania spinosa L. (Argan oil), Organic oils of Cannabis sativa (Hemp Seed), Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba), Vitis vinifera (Grape Seed), Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel, Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose); Achillea millefolium (Organic Yarrow), Organic Guar Gum [aka guaran], Organic herbal extracts of: Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), Arctium lappa (Burdock), Equisetum hyemale (Horsetail), Salvia officinalis (Sage), Origanum vulgare (Oregano), Thymus vulgaris (Thyme), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender), Mentha piperita (Peppermint), Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon), Citrus limonum (Lemon) Peel; Plant-Sourced Kosher Vegan Xanthan Gum and/or Manihot esculenta (Organic yuca starch) and Potassium Sorbate; may contain Elaeis Guineensis (Palm Kernel) extract, Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam seed oil) and acetic acid (vinegar); Organic essential oils of Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange), Citrus aurantium var. amara (Bitter Orange), Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang).

100% Pure Honey & Virgin Coconut Restorative Conditioner: 
After falling in love with the 100% Pure Body Cream, I knew that I had to try their hair care. 100% Pure always has amazing ingredients and I knew that this conditioner would be perfect for my curly/color treated hair. This conditioner helps to detangle my hair while keeping it moisturized and nourished. I must admit, my hair has never been softer since using this shampoo & conditioner duo. This is a bit of a heavier conditioner so I would only recommend it to those with dry, damaged, and/or thick hair. I usually go through conditioner so fast but a little goes a long way for this product. I can see this bottle easily lasting me another 4 months! Best of all, this leaves my hair smelling like coconuts even when I'm out of the shower. This is the first conditioner to leave a lasting scent on my hair.

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Organic Rose Hydrosol)*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Butter, Linum Usitatissimum (Organic Flax) Seed Oil, Glycerine, Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Ceterayl Alcohol, Mel (Honey), Citrus Aurantium Sinensis (Orange Peel) Fiber, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla Wax) Extract, Pantothenic Acid (Pro-Vitamin B5), Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus (Kelp) Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Extracts of Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) and Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Fragrance) * Certified Organic

Have you tried any of these products before? What are your thoughts? 

Sappho Organic Cosmetics: Pressed Mineral Pigments Review

This is a long overdue review of the pressed pigments from Sappho Organic Cosmetics! After falling in love with their liquid foundation, I knew that Sappho had some of the best quality and standards for organic & natural makeup. While there are many natural, beautiful loose mineral eyeshadows on the market, there aren't many pressed pigments. Pressed pigments were something that I missed for the longest time since going green. I find them easier to work with and much more suitable for travelling. Sappho currently has 10 pressed eyeshadow colors and 5 blush colors. 

Bronze Goddess: A staple in every makeup bag. This is the perfect color to use as an all over bronzer for a sun kissed glow or as a contour. 

Minaz: A soft peach with shimmer. Looks great against sun kissed skin and is easily wearable for day or night. 

Deep Diane: A neutral, buttery shade that is perfect as an eye shadow base or a subtle under the brow highlight. 

Chloe: A fantastic satin pewter shade that works wonderfully for creating a smoky eye. 

These pigments have excellent color pay off, they're easy to blend and control (always a huge plus in my books!) Right now my favorite color is the Minaz because it looks so good with hazel eyes, it picks up all the right colors. I think that because Sappho products were created by a makeup artist, you know that theie products are going to have excellent quality. I also love that these pigments magnetically attach to a palette, so you are able to customize your own palette.

  Have you tried any products from Sappho Organic Cosmetics? What are your thoughts on these pressed pigments? 

Saffron Rouge Inner Circle Subscription Box - June 2014

Lately, I've been pretty happy with the Saffron Rouge Inner Circle monthly subscription box. It always has good value for luxury, organic & natural beauty products. It costs $24.99/month including shipping.

Primavera Energizing Ginger Lime Hand Cream - Full Size $27 

I was so excited to receive this in a full size! It's the perfect scent for summer (lime) and fits easily into my purse. The scent is so fresh, it's perfect for a pick-me-up!

W3LL People Bio Extreme Lipgloss - Full Size $23.75
I need to try more Well People products so I'm so happy that this was in this months box. This new product is a clear lip gloss that should be a staple in everyone's makeup bag!

The Body Deli Jasmine Tuberose Lotion - 2oz sample $9

The Body Deli is a brand that I have always been impressed by. I was happy to receive this deluxe size sample in a sweet, jasmine scent.

Ilike Lemon Cleansing Milk - .5oz sample $3

Ilike has been on my radar for the longest time. All of their products look delicious and this brand reminds me so much of Eminence, a brand that I love! I've already been using this cleansing and so far I am loving it. It is for unbalanced and problematic skin, and the best part is that it smells like lemon meringue pie! 

Vapour Aura Multi Use Blush - sample

This multi-use stick is just what I needed to test our Vapour Organic Beauty. This is another line that I need to become more antiquated with so I am happy to receive this sample!

Over the value of this box was $62.75. Overall another great month with great value! 

Unfortunately Saffron Rouge is no longer in business. Looking for a similar company? Try Nuciya Natural Beauty