Tested: Yoshimomo Black Magic Charcoal Cleanser

Cleansers are always such a tricky purchase for me to make.  On one hand, I like cleansers that leave my skin feeling squeaky clean, but on the other, I find that most of those face washes dry my skin out.    That is why I always try to sample cleansers first before making a committed purchase.  Well, I didn't sample this cleanser at all before buying it (though offering a small sample size would be nice).  I'd developed naive confidence in the brand after reading their plethora of rave reviews and decided to bite the bullet to purchase one of their best selling products.  I also saw that Nic of OrgaNic Obsessions loved the the line which factored quite heavily in my decision to purchase.  I was left astounded and I've got so many reasons to tout this product as one of the best cleansers I've ever used.  

Tested: 100% Pure Herbal Detox Mask

I love a good detox especially because of all of the dirt and grime I'm exposed to when I am downtown.  I was keen to try the new masks released by 100 Percent Pure so I managed to find a store where I could sample both the detox and aqua masks.  As you can see, the detox mask was the clear winner for me and I've found that this has been one of my favorite detox masks to date!  It's effective, it smells great, and, let's be honest, it's absolute fun to walk around the house scaring others with your green faced self!  Read on to see why I reach for this mask as my go-to detox method!

Comparison: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara (Black Tea) VS Maracuja Mascara (Black Tea)

The Lengthening mascara from 100% pure has always been my stand-out favorite ever since I started testing all natural mascaras.  It's no surprise, then, that I was over the moon when they announced their new Maracuja formulation to add to their mascara lineup.  I was able to snag this up during the 100% Pure Friends & Family and have been testing it against it's older sibling! Before we continue, I'll just say that I love both of the formulations but do have a personal preference.  Read on, wide-eyed viewer!

Tested: Kypris Beauty Elixir II & III (Healing Bouquet & Prismatic Array)

I love Kypris.  This is no secret to anyone who as ever peeked at my Instagram @cleancurator or read any of my previous blog posts.  In addition to loving Kypris, I have combination, acne-prone skin that just does not agree with most oils.  You can see, then, that I had quite a bit of a dilemma when looking to own one of Kypris' much-talked-about Beauty Elixirs.  I decided to bite the bullet and order two samples of the Elixirs as I was recently placing an order at Integrity Botanicals for a plethora of new samples to test.  I love that more online boutiques for clean beauty are now embracing samples and selling them so that we are not limited to just choosing 2 or 3 per order.  I took advantage of that and decided to give the Kypris Elixirs a test run on my skin to see if, by chance of a miracle, I would not break out or be left extremely uncomfortable.  There was a miracle and now I know I will never be without them!

Tested: Honeyce Moisture Repair Shampoo & Treatment

I don't talk about my hair often.  My hair is the kind of fine-but-with-frizz, stick-straight, volume-less hair that puts people at their wits end.  Granted, I am very basic with my haircare routine and dislike fussing too much with my hair so perhaps I shouldn't expect glamour waves from such a simple routine.  I also have a regimen of washing my hair every other day and it has been a struggle finding a good non-toxic(or even mostly non-toxic) option that will help keep even my second-day-hair bouncy and full-looking without giving the appearance of an oily mess.  I heard about the Honeyce brand from a blogger I follow at sushi-cat!  Jenny posts updates on Japanese products that she's purchased and always manages to find great products that I've never heard of before.  I'm a huge sucker for great packaging and I also adore Japanese products so I did more google-ing on the product and found that it was free of sodium laureate sulfate, parabens, synthetic dyes, PG, synthetic antioxidant, talc, and doesn't test on animals.  It is also formulated with 8 kinds of honey from around the world and 8 kinds of oil and milk.  I've tested this duo out for the past few months and have really gotten a good sense of how I feel about the product!

Tested: Leahlani Skincare Mermaid Mask

Today, I'm writing about my favorite mask at the moment.  It's Wednesday and I'm just going to go out on a limb and assume you, like me, need a skin pick-me-up on hump day.  I am bringing you the ultimate skin-soothing mask.  Leahlani's Mermaid Mask is loaded with ingredients that are powerfully good for your skin such as Hawaiian raw honey, Hawaiian Spirulina, and Chlorella.  I find that it soothes, evens, softens, and calms my skin after application.  A name such as the Mermaid Mask may make this mask seem like a fantasy that is too good to be true, but trust me, the fantasy is real.  Read on for my detailed thoughts and opinions!