I’ve been a little resistant to the organic skincare craze, but Babe, the whip-smart new Australian line straight from founder Kim Peirce’s kitchen table has me reconsidering. Featuring plant-based botanicals and organic ingredients, her line of body care products – body lotion, hand soap, body wash and scrubs – smell just as divine as they are effective. Energetic and positive encouragements (to name a few: “There’s not a hint of mediocrity in you” + “Love your own wild) are splashed across the bottles and the chic packaging freshens up your vanity. My favorite product, the Coffee Body Scrub, is dry – meaning the particles aren’t swimming in oils or liquid – and the caffeine from the sand-like ground coffee beans sloughs away dead skin cells and enhances skin tonality.
—Kait Clark
ICYMI: My friend and fellow beauty product junkie, Kait Clark, is a resident guest blogger for Politics of Pretty.
April showers brings soft, supple skin for spring. I love that refreshing feeling after I shower and it’s thanks to these holy grail of bath & body products that I just can’t get enough of:
Aveeno Skin Relief Coconut Body Wash & Lotion— It’s rare to find a line of body products that smell good and have you feeling clean. I love this duo for a number of reasons but what I love most is the light coconut scent (perfect for spring and summer) and the formula is lightweight yet still moisturizing. Aveeno products are infused with soothing oatmeal and perfect for those with sensitive skin.
Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser— Glossier has easily become a beauty cult favorite and I can’t quite explain just how unique this formula really is. It seems like the internet isn’t a fan of the cleanser name but I don’t mind it—and I actually think it rings true to what it is. A part milky, part jelly face wash consistency that easily dissolves face makeup. I use this in the shower at night and typically wipe away my eye makeup with micellar cleansing cloths.
Aveeno Postively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub (on sale at Ulta now)—After I cleanse, I squeeze a small amount of this gentle, yet powerful daily scrub to wipe away dead skin and reveal a soft and smooth complexion.
I’d love to know, what beauty products are in your shower caddy?
If you saw my recent Instagram posts of my engagement photos, then you probably noticed how pale I looked in them. I guess you could say I’m picky thanks to my ultra pale complexion but this summer that’s going to change. Finding ways to achieve a natural looking faux tan has always been an adventure to say the least. I’m not a big fan of tanning lotion and I prefer something that is easy to apply and dries quickly. This was B.B. (Before Bliss). I recently tried Bliss Hide & Glow Sleek, a firming tinted body spray that is supposed to leave a soft veil of color to even out and hide imperfections while firming skin over time (thanks to Peptides and caffeine in its formula). I’ve always trusted Bliss products so I had no hesitation spraying this on my legs and arms. In a matter of several minutes, I had nice soft glow without looking orange. Did I mention this tanning spray is packed with Maracuja oil? This is a nutrient-rich oil derived from rare Amazonian fruit that replenishes and moisturizes skin. And I LOVE the scent. This isn’t like most tanning sprays that wreaks of chemicals. Applying is easy—hold the nozzle and spray on skin (no rubbing required, so hands stay clean). Personally, I like to apply Jergens BB Body Skin Perfecting Skin Cream lotion first and then spray with Bliss to seal the deal. This formula is water-and-transfer resistant so it stays on skin and won’t stain clothes too. With two weddings and trip to Ocean City right around the corner, I’ll be armed and ready for the best summer glow to date.
I think I found the holy grail drugstore body wash. I read great reviews about Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash but to be honest, I never really thought much about a body cleanser. Sure, it’s a part of my daily beauty routine but I never came across a body wash I just couldn’t live without. But now I have. This is one body wash I can’t get enough of. My bottle is almost empty. That never happens. Usually I’m on to something else before I can finish it. Aveeno cleanses skin with Active Natural Colloidal Oatmeal—long known to soothe skin and natural oils. It’s lightly fragranced (a refreshing clean scent) and it isn’t overwhelming but still subtle enough to take notice and I crave it on a daily basis. I typically can work two quarter-size amounts in to a rich lather for my entire body. This may sound weird but I never use a washcloth. I usually use my bare hands or the occasional loofah to wash my body. I’ve always dealt with scaly, dry skin on my elbows but this body wash combined with its Daily Moisturizing Lotion has significantly changed the look and feel of my arms. Post-shower, my skin feels soft and smooth.
As a beauty ambassador for AVEENO, I received a complimentary sample for review purposes. Now that I am totally sold on this body wash, I’m definitely going to the drugstore to buy me some more!
Can’t decide what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day? Here’s an idea: beer soap. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s the perfect gift that is equal parts thoughtful and functional. Misti Morningstar is the owner and founder of Savage Soaps, a line of natural body care based in Frederick, Maryland. I was virtually introduced to Misti through my fiancé Curt (creator of Ferg Video), who produced a mini-doc featuring her soaps and a collaboration with a local brewery. It’s rare that my fiancé and I get to collaborate on a topic I don’t usually cover but for once, beauty and beer unite! I love supporting locally owned businesses and Misti is a genius for coming up with such a cool concept of combining handcrafted soap with craft beer!
Inspired by her love for fragrant scents and microbrewery beers, she came up with the idea to infuse the two to create a skin saving soap bar. Savage Soaps are olive oil based, wildly natural and packed with anti-aging benefits (thanks to essential oils and glycerin). With notes of cinnamon clove, Beersud, is just one of the many handcrafted soaps made with Brewer’s Alley (Monocacy Brewing Company) Nut Brown Ale and all-natural vegetable ingredients. So why is beer good for your skin? Beer sediment (brewer’s yeast) can help improve the symptoms of acne by slowing down sebum production and killing off the bacteria that triggers blemishes, thus revealing smooth and supple skin. Plus, what guy turns down soap that smells like beer? My point exactly. Shop the entire Savage Soaps collection here and check out the video below!