I'm still here! and Haus of Gloi

It's been hectic but fun in the last couple of weeks.  I'm currently in Seattle getting acclimated and scoping out neighborhoods with Mr. Addicted.  Next week I go back to Philly to take care of some things around the house to get that baby on the market.

I have a couple of packages waiting for me at home that I had hoped would arrive before I came out here, but alas they came a day late.  One of them is Rouge Bunny Rouge, heaven help me.

There have been a few things that have helped me keep sane through all the chaos.  I want to give a shout out to Haus of Gloi, which I decided to try after reading several raves on other blogs - good move on my part!  Haus of Gloi's Pumpkin Queen Sugar Exfoliant (now sold out) and Parkin Pumpkin Butter have been nothing short of life savers for me.

Image courtesy of Haus of Gloi

Read more about Haus of Gloi after the jump!

Update and Summer Loves

I need to be better about announcing when I am taking a break.  My humblest apologies!

I did receive the Urban Decay Naked Palette before I left on my protracted vacation, and I used it every single day while I was away.  There are a number of reviews out there on it, so I don't think I need to do one (see Temptalia, MusingsofaMuse, MakeupGeek, VampyVarnish, etc.).  I will say that I agree wholeheartedly with their assessments of the palette, and I think that if you are all interested then you should pick it up when it comes back in stock.  I had never used Urban Decay before, and I am very impressed with the brand.  The eyeshadows are exquisite in texture and pigmentation, and considering that you get 12 full-sized shadows with this palette, the value is exceptional.  I'm so glad I tried this palette!

Over the past couple of weeks my skin has gotten back to normal after my Pangea Organics disaster.  I discovered Angel Face Botanicals after Tali from The Gloss Goss mentioned the company at the bottom of this post, and I ordered a sample of the Ambrosia Cleansing Grains.  The sample arrived yesterday, along with a sample of the Oil-free Lavender Hydrating Serum, and I am pleased so far.  I am even happy with the serum, which I am grateful that Jessica included.  We will see in a couple of weeks; I am hopeful about this one.

I seem to have misplaced the cord that allows me to download pictures from my camera to my laptop; when I find it, I will have some pictures for you!

In the meantime, here are some other things I have been loving this summer:

• Korres Guava Body Butter
• The beach
• Honey
• Spending time with my husband
• Anthropologie Secret Treasures dress
• Relaxing and renewing my spirit
• Caprese salads

Review: Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula and Blood Orange Cleanser

I'm glad that project is over ... I literally stopped working only to sleep.  Back to the blogs!






For the past couple of weeks, I have been testing Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula and Blood Orange Facial Cleanser, which I purchased during a 25% off sale they had on their website.  It's a milky cleanser with a bit of a strange scent that is hard to describe, but does smell natural nonetheless.  It left my skin smooth and refreshed, and was cleansing but did not strip my skin.  My face fest smooth and supple after washing with this cleanser, and I quite liked the results I was getting.  My skin was clear and clean, and I was actually able to use less moisturizer because of this cleanser.   I used it morning and night for almost two weeks, and stopped using it a few days ago when I suddenly broke out in two massive cysts on my chin.

I would love to give this cleanser a glowing review, and up until a few days ago I would have, but given the pain the lower part of my face is in right now, I will not be using this cleanser again and would not recommend it for anyone who has sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Looks like for now I will be going back to my Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Cleanser.  It's doesn't meet all my criteria, but so far it's the only thing that I have found to work on a consistent basis.

My Current Acne Treatment Regimen

I was inspired by my recent honey post, and this post over at Temptalia.  I commented on what I've been doing to combat my acne, and I thought it would be fun to expound on what I've been doing lately and why.

I have instituted some criteria in choosing my products.  They must:

• Contain natural and/or organic ingredients wherever possible.
• NOT contain harmful chemicals.
• Be cruelty-free.

My current process, from start to finish:

1. At night, I take off my makeup with Yes to Cucumbers Cleansing Towelettes.  These contain only natural ingredients, are cool and refreshing on my sensitive skin, and remove all the junk from my face so the cleanser can get in and work its magic.  I get mine at Target or Walgreens.  They cost the same as the Neutrogena towelettes I used before, but the ingredients are so much better for my skin.
2. I wash my face with my purple Clarisonic Mia, morning and night, with a gentle cleanser. I am still trying to find a cleanser that works for the long term, but the Clarisonic is a God-send.  I was using Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Scrub before the Clarisonic, and had good results with that so I started using the cream cleanser with the Clarisonic.  I want to purge chemicals and animal-tested products from my routine though, so I recently picked up some Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula and Blood Orange facial cleanser, which I love so far and hope it works out, because my skin is so soft and smooth right now!  I just need to see how it works over the next few weeks.  It's a little pricey, but I'm willing to pay a little more for the right cleanser.
3. Next, I spritz on a homemade toner of 2 parts witch hazel, 1 part Lush Tea Tree Water, and 1 part Boots Botanics Organic Rose Water. I chose these ingredients because they are known to be helpful for fighting acne; they have astringent and antimicrobial properties that make them effective against it. The rose water is also an effective anti-inflammation and balancing agent. What's even better is that they are all inexpensive, and variations can be found in your local drugstore. I spritz the toner on my face morning and night, letting it sink into my skin before moisturizing.
4. Twice a week, after toning my skin, I apply a honey mask that I leave on for 20 minutes. I just open a jar of honey and spread it over my face. As I've explained, honey is antimicrobial and soothing on the skin, and the results have been wonderful!
5. I have been moisturizing with MAC Studio Moisture Fix with SPF 15.  It's lightweight, hydrating, and gentle, plus it provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.  At night, I add a drop of Pangea Organics Himalayan Geranium and Pomegranate Balancing Oil.  I've only been using the balancing oil for about a week, but I am very please with the results.  I was afraid it would break me out (oil on acne-prone skin just doesn't sound right), but I tried it anyway because I read glowing reviews.  I am happy to report that it has done the opposite of break me out ... a lot of the large pores on my face are smaller, and I have fewer blackheads since I began using it.  The ingredients are astounding; I've never seen such a healthful, nourishing combination of essential oils and extracts.  I'd say the same for all their products.  I'm very pleased with what I've tried so far, and hope to try more in the future!

Note:  Around “that time” of the month, I usually feel a cyst forming on my chin. As soon as I feel it, I wash my face with Lush Fresh Farmacy, concentrating on the area of the cyst. I do that once a day for a few days.  After washing with Fresh Farmacy, I put Neosporin on the cyst. I do that in the morning and at night. Neosporin is actually the best acne spot treatment I have used (and I’ve tried a million of them). Since I started using the Fresh Farmacy/Neosporin combination, the cyst doesn’t fully form and goes away within a day or two.

So that's my current facial regimen.  It's kind of exhausting sometimes, but it's working!

The Power of Honey

My skin is extremely temperamental.  It's sensitive, combination, and extremely acne-prone.  Where my skin is on the oily side, I have some large pores that have a tendency to clog.   When I break out, it's usually one extremely large, deep and painful cyst in the area of my chin.  Where my skin is on the dry side, I am prone to flaking, redness and itching (also due to my skin's sensitivity).

For a long time I tried product after product to balance my skin, and nothing would really address all my  issues.  The anti-acne products were too irritating and drying, the moisturizing products would break me out, the products for sensitive skin wouldn't fully cleanse.  A few years back I read an article somewhere about the benefits of honey as a skin treatment, which piqued my interest.  I love honey, and spread on pretty much everything.  I prefer it to butter (although mixed with butter, honey is utterly delicious!) on breakfast breads and pastries, and there really is nothing like a peanut butter and honey spread over a banana for a delicious snack.

So when I read that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it regularly to heal wounds and burns, and that they revered honey for its properties as a humectant, antimicrobial agent, and anti-inflammatory agent, I decided to give honey a try for myself.  For a little while now, I have been using honey as a facial mask, and I absolutely love it.  I spread it on my face and let it sit for 20 minutes before using warm water to remove it.  I do this about twice a week or so.  Water dissolves the honey pretty quickly, and the result is soft, supple, hydrated skin that feels wonderfully fresh.  Honey has helped balance my skin by moisturizing the dry spots and controlling oil in the oily spots.  I did not have any reactions to the honey mask, and have not broken out in quite some time.  It's a miracle!

I've also tried honey for a couple of other purposes, and I will be posting about those soon.   I am so happy to have discovered even more uses for my beloved honey!