FLOWEREVOLUTION: Intoxicating florals for everyday life

Katie Hess of Lotus Wei has had a busy year!  She's been busy running Lotus Wei, my go-to shop for flower essences, but she's also been working on the beautiful project that is her new book Flowerevolution !  Inside the book, you'll find beautiful images and page after page of her abundant knowledge of flowers and their benefits!  There's 416 pages so you're sure to have a plethora of her knowledge with you as a day to day reference book.  I loved Katie's beautiful blends since I first tried their Infinite Love perfume!  It is the sweetest, most inviting scent and I am still keen on repurchasing it!  I'd like to talk about a different flower today.  This one is a little more personal and I'm so glad that Katie has chosen me to be part of her "flower circle"!  Today, you'll be hearing about my experience with the White Water Lily flower elixir from Lotus Wei.  Be sure to read until the end to see who is next in the circle!

Honest Haircare ( Volumizing Spray, Heat Defense Spray, Recovery Masque, Condition + Shine Serum)

The Honest Beauty lineup has been expanding drastically in the past few months and I couldn't be more ecstatic about this change. I have had the pleasure of testing out many of their styling products.  The bottom line of my experience is that there were several hits and misses.  I believe that there are very strong items in their lineup as well as a few weak misses that may have had to do with my particular hair type( so I am not saying that my own misses will be everyone's misses).  Hair is such an individualistic part of each person that I find it difficult to just  place a black and white label on what products are effective and which are not.  Read on to discover the new Honest Beauty Hair range with me!

Glow Recipe Haul ( Yuri Pibu Artichoke Power Essence & Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum )

I've been really into Korean Beauty as of late! I blame Glow Recipe for really instigating my recent obsession with all things K-Beauty since they've really helped me take most of the guess work out of tracking which K-Beauty products were on the cleaner end of the spectrum ingredients-wise.  I've discovered one of my favorite Korean brands, Yuri Pibu, through them( and I'm sure I'll discover more under-the-radar brands in the future thanks to their great lineup).  Today, I'm reviewing two cleaner K-Beauty bestsellers for you so that perhaps you can catch a ride on the obsession train with me! One is my Holy-Grail-serum-of-all-time Yuri Pibu's Artichoke Power Essence and the other is an equally effective innovative product in the name of Blithe's Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum.  Both of these are chronic bestsellers at Glow Recipe and I've got all of the details for you! Read till the end for a special $5 promo code!

Kypris Pot of Shade: Heliotropic

If you've been with me since the beginning, then you'll know that Kypris holds a very special place in my heart as they were the first green beauty brand that I really fell in love with.  I'd go as far as to say that they were the brand who inspired me to pursue more green beauty options in my skincare closet.  I was so ecstatic when my dear friend Melissa of Guide to Wellness won their recent giveaway and decided that I would be her plus one in the gift giving! I decided to choose an old favorite, the Moonlight Catalyst, and a new release, the Heliotropic Pot of Shade SPF 30. Unfortunately, the Moonlight Catalyst was sold out at the moment so they decided to send me the Antioxidant Dew which is also a favorite of mine ( review HERE) so I truly couldn't complain! I'm here to review their new sunscreen here on the Clean Curator, and guys, it feels like I'm taking it way back!  Join me in this throw back to see why I have fallen in love with this product!

Honest Beauty Rose Gold Glimmer Set ( Instant Spark , Lips for Days, Shine for Nights )

The holiday season is upon us and with that comes holiday gift sets (limited edition!) and SALES!  You guys, I love the holidays and you can bet that I'm incredibly excited to review this new Limited Edition release from Honest Beauty!  The Rose Gold Glimmer Set has a Luminizer in Instant Spark and two lip glosses in Lips for Days and Shine for Nights.  I love highlighters and lip products (two of my favorite makeup items), so I knew I had to jump on this palette before it was gone! These products didn't disappoint and I decided to test them out so I could give you guys the full low-down before they sell out!

Honest Beauty Reformulated Truly Lush Mascara & Spotlight + Strobe Kit

To be completely honest (pun intended), I've been thinking about unsubscribing to the Honest Beauty Bundles as of late.  I've been getting so much makeup that I didn't see the need for the Bundle anymore even if it was a great deal.  Then, Honest Beauty decided to completely unravel my resolve and release new products, holiday products, as well as haircare!  I've got the low down on their Haircare Line coming very soon, but for today, I'd like to rave about their newly reformulated Truly Lush Mascara and their Spotlight + Strobe Kit!

Everlane Striped Poplin Shirt Dress ( Black )

I've been ordering from Everlane since they first started their business and it has been such an amazing journey seeing them grow and expand their style.  I'm a huge fan, and with the expansion of this website, I thought it'd  be appropriate to dedicate a review of one of my favorite new dresses from their line! The Striped Cotton Poplin Shirt Dress is a modern take on the Oxford shirt with a much extended shirt line to make it into a shirt dress. I've been reaching for this piece in my closet so often as of late.

Veeda Feminine Care

I have never mentioned this on the blog prior to now, but Eco-conscious living as a whole has been on my mind lately.  I'm not one to be completely stringent on myself in regards to my approach to switching to cleaner brands.  This is because of two reasons: I don't believe in stressing myself out when adding stress is unnecessary and I also believe in using cleaner products that actually work well.  I wouldn't want to compromise either of those principals. In lieu of these thoughts, I've decided to begin a site-wide expansion into focusing on more conscious living.  I will be reviewing Eco products including clothes, household items, and much more.  I'm starting off by sharing with you my two cents on Veeda, an Eco-conscious brand of feminine care products.  

Living Libations True Blue Spirulina Shampoo, Zippity Dew Dab, Laurel Oracle, Green Papaya & Lime AHA Mask

Living Libations has been on my radar for a very long time now!  I was ecstatic to finally visit their Venice Beach location with Melissa from Guide to Wellness a while back.  The space is absolutely stunning and customers are given a very personal, calming consultation session with every visit!  I did a bit of damage (to my wallet) that day, but I've got no regrets with how well these high quality products truly work.  I plan on repurchasing almost all of the items I bought( but probably at a much later date due to the cost)! I tried everything from their haircare to their skincare and I've got all my comprehensive thoughts below!

[Curated Box] Esthoria Box July 2016 (Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask, Regenerating Cleanser, Corpa Flora Beaute Divine)

I oftentimes feel that I'm "over-subscribed" to Green Beauty Boxes what with the two to four that I have coming in on the monthly.  At the same time, I know that these boxes are worth the subscription when I cannot seem to bring myself to cancel them.  Esthoria Box is my newest subscription and it's one that I am coming to full appreciate.  The great thing about Esthoria Box is that they allow you to choose one of the items within their selection and they only send you products bimonthly.  That way, your beauty cabinet isn't over cluttered.  What I liked about this months selection was that they focused skincare instead of the color cosmetics that were featured in last month's box. Tata Harper is another great, luxe brand in the green beauty realm that I've wanted to try further so I was extremely excited about this months picks.  Let's just say that I was thoroughly impressed with both of the items featured in the box (not to mention that there was an extra award-winning deluxe sample included).

[Curated Box] Honest Beauty Bundle Eyeshadow Trio (Heather Mauve), Depuffed Eye Gel, Eyeliner Pencil (Eye Opener)

I find that Honest Beauty's forte lies with its affordable, clean beauty color makeup options.  I do, however, deeply enjoy using the Depuffed Cooling Eye Gel as a staple in my morning Summer AM routine.  Honest Beauty really hits it out of the park with their affordability, convenience (they're now at Ulta!), and range of products with minimal packaging.  This time, I tested out another shadow trio in Heather Mauve (a wonderful color option that is still wearable for everyday), and the Eye Opener pencil that is in a classic nude shade.  These are products that have been constantly raved about and I'm here to offer my two cents!

[Curated Box] Esthoria Box May 2016

There's a new box in town! Esthoria Box hails from our friendly neighbor up North (Canada) and is taking the Green Beauty world by storm with it's luxe selections!  I really love how I am able to choose my own shades for some of the products included.  I also admire how high quality the first featured brand is!  I've always been lusting after the classic, chic products from RMS, however, I found it hard to not be guilty after splurging on these little luxuries.  Esthoria Box has been able to give me and all the subscribers an opportunity to own all the best hits from RMS without having to spend a pretty penny!  Their bimonthly subscription system also helps because I won't be overwhelmed by products each month.  I was pleasantly surprised that they added so many additional products to this month's lineup as well!  Read on to hear what was in this month's box!

Tested: 14e Cosmetics Aloe Nourish Sheer Tint

One of my favorite products to test is tinted moisturizer.  I am a sucker for a flawless base and I used to be the girl who wore full coverage foundation on the daily.  I've come a long way since then (and tried many a good foundation along the way).  If you're an avid reader of Clean Curator, then you know that I used to suffer from a lot more acne than I have currently.  This period in my life started my experimentation with a lot of great base products to achieve that flawless skin that I so coveted.  I've learned since then and have taken care of my skin from the inside out, with the help of some amazing products, to achieve my complexion now.  Although it isn't near flawless, it is still good enough that I can now get away with wearing tinted moisturizer with concealer for spot treatment.  I'm always looking for a light, non-suffocating tinted moisturizer that provides natural coverage.  I believe I may have found my favorite new tinted moisturizer with the release of 14e Cosmetics!  I had the pleasure of meeting with Emma Fortini, the brand's mastermind, and I was blown away with her formulations!

Tested: Onomie Powerful Priming Serum

Onomie has seriously set the bar high with this one! I'm constantly battling with my hyper pigmentation left behind by past acne scars AND fighting the clock to keep my makeup looking less like a greasy ocean and more like that fresh AM glow!  Due to these concerns, it is all too fitting that I would need a primer such as this one to save me from both of the big issues I deal with on the daily!  Onomie has truly delivered on both of these fronts( and much more)! I haven't stopped reaching for this product in my morning routine ever since I started using it.  If actions aren't a testament to the efficacy of a product, then what is?

[Curated Box] Goodbeing May 2016

Goodbeing really switched it up this week and gave me a well-rounded box of natural products! I've got something for the face, eyes, feet, and even mouth! What I enjoyed about this month's selection was that I would have never thought to purchase these items on my own and yet I enjoyed using them for their unique qualities (save for one, but I'll get to that in a second).  I'm glad to say that I was over pleasantly surprised once again.

Tested: 5Yina Divine Seasons Biocellulose Mask

5Yina has been blowing me away with all of their releases as of this year! You might have remembered my three part review of the gorgeous seasonal oils that they offer.  5Yina is expanding their line with some of the MOST luxe biocellulose masks I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.  Trust me, I've used a lot of sheet masks in my time and this one is truly a winner on all fronts.  I really need to start a 5Yina fund to feed my obsession with their brand at this point. The Divine Seasons Biocellulose Mask is 5Yina's latest brainchild combining the newest scientific innovations in skincare and traditional beauty secrets of Chinese Medicine.

I noticed results instantly after using the mask and it has quickly become one of my favorite( if not my favorite) "sheet" masks that I've tried!

Tested: Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Mask

Blue Tansy has been such a key word in so many recent green beauty discussions. I've been itching to try anything, serum or mask, with this beautiful blue in it. When I saw that Herbivore Botanicals had a mask meant to help with lightening and brightening with Blue Tansy, I had to put it to the test.  I've been using this mask for the past few months by following the instructions listed on the box( use it once a day for the first week and then lesson the use as time passes to about 1-2 times per week).  I've experienced some of the claims, however, I've definitely not experienced all of them. Here is a round up of my thoughts on Herbivore Botanical's Blue Tansy mask. 

[Curated Box] Goodbeing April 2016

This month's Goodbeing box was all about getting ready and fresh-faced for the summer to come! I'm a true Cali girl, so I'm very much excited about the upcoming season!  I was also happy to find that there were plenty of options in my box ranging from body products to skincare to makeup!  Read on for a comprehensive look at this month's Goodbeing!  

Tested: Pistache Skincare- Pistachio Oil Hydrating Moisturizer

Pistachio is my favorite snack of the nut variety so when I heard that Sima of Pistache Skincare had created a cream moisturizer from Pistachio Oil, I just had to try it out to see if my love for pistachios would carry though from the inside to the outside! I thought that this ingredient was so innovative that I was excited at the prospect of how it would perform for my skin. Sima comes from a long line of pistachio farmers and she drew on that knowledge to create a luxe nighttime experience using pistachio oil as the hero ingredient.  Pistachio oil has amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties as it is high in Vitamin E. I honestly believe that the start of any good base for makeup is good skin and the most important way to keep healthy skin smooth and supple is by feeding it with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories.  I was excited to put it to the test due to these claims and have since been using it for about a month now.  Read on to see how this performed in my nighttime routine!

Tested: Root Pretty Cassandra Blush, Dolce Eyeshadow, Tan Rose Eyeshadow

Root Pretty has been a brand that I've wanted to try for a long while! I've never gotten to it because of my ever expanding makeup collection being a bit overwhelming! I was so excited when Terrin from Root Pretty contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I was interested in testing out some of their products. Obviously, I jumped on the chance and went ahead with the testing of my two current obsessions, their pressed powder blush in Cassandra and pressed eyeshadow in Dolce. There is a rarity in pressed powder blushes in the green beauty world( much to my chagrin), so I was very excited about these discoveries. I also love how eco-friendly they are by avoiding bulky packaging and just presenting the item in pans to fit into a z-palette or any other palette. I've been reaching for the Cassandra Blush every day and the Dolce eyeshadow for special occasions. Read on to find out why these pressed options are my new favorites!