Empties!

Here is my latest round of empties. I took this picture with my phone, please forgive the bad quality!

Clockwise from top:

1. Tom of Maine's Whole Care Fluoride Toothpaste in Spearmint

I originally purchased this toothpaste because I thought it did not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which can sometimes cause mouth sores. Unfortunately the toothpaste does contain SLS, but so far it hasn't irritated my mouth. I like that this toothpaste is not as sweetly flavored as some others and contains natural flavors and abrasives.

2. Yes to Cucumbers Travel Pack Face Wipes

Review here.

3. The Body Shop Mini Mango Body Scrub

I swiped this scrub from a gift set my sister received ;P I found this scrub to be just okay, mainly because I didn't like the base that the scrubbies were in. The base almost has a gel-like consistency, and I think simple oil bases feel better on skin.

4. Ilka Fine Limp Hair Shampoo (discontinued!)

Review here.

5. Physician's Formula Organic Wear Eye Makeup Remover Fluid

Review here.

Biggs and Featherbelle Tequila Bar Natural Soap

Lately I've been loving citrus scents and Biggs and Featherbelle's Tequila Bar Natural Soap ($3.99) is really hitting the spot.

Doesn't it look like a block of parmesan cheese in this photo? Lol.

Enhanced to show sea salt scubbies!

The soap base has a nourishing oil base and contains sea salt for a bit of scrub. It also contains lime and litsea (evergreen) oils which give it a citrusy zip. The combination of the lime and litsea oils smells more like lemongrass than lime to me, but the scent is still very refreshing. Biggs and Featherbelle claims their soaps are gentle enough to use on the face but I plan to use it just on the body as my face is already quite oily.

Biggs and Featherbelle offers soaps, soaks, scrubs, and balms in a ton of other scents which you can check out here. They also offer a few gift sets, including a holiday scented soap set. Very enticing!

Hotel Minis

As a follow up to my previous post I thought I would share some other luxe hotel toiletries from my trip to Scandinavia this summer. In Stockholm the fiance and I stayed at the wonderful Hotel Mornington right in the city center. Hotel Mornington stocks its bathrooms with toiletries by Face Stockholm, one of the biggest cosmetic companies in Scandinavia. I especially liked the lotion, which was light and unscented. Perfect for moisturizing on hot summer days. Below you can see the toiletries on the bathroom shelf. I love how the bottles complement the black and white decor of the room!

This photo of Mornington Hotel Stockholm City is courtesy of TripAdvisor 

In Copenhagen the fiance and I also stayed at the eco-friendly Hotel Guldsmeden. Hotel Guldsmeden offers its own line of organic body products which are available online here.

The products have very strong herbal scents which put me off a bit but I appreciated the concepts and effort behind creating them. Wouldn't it be neat if more hotels had their own body care lines?

I really enjoyed writing this post and hope you did too. I think I'll make it a habit of documenting hotel toiletries in the future!

Fresh Hotel Minis

I'm back with long overdue news. In May my boyfriend of almost 7 years asked me to marry him, and I said yes! We are both very excited and are looking forward to a life together.

As part of the engagement experience my fiance booked us a room at Hotel Vitale in San Francisco, CA. Not only did the room have panoramic views of the bay, it also had one of my favorite hotel amenities - luxe hotel toiletries. Fresh toiletries to be exact!

Check those babies out. Shown are Citron de Vigne soap, showergel and body lotion; Soy Shampoo; and Pomegranate Conditioner. The Citron de Vigne scent is inspired by the French champagne region of Reims, pretty appropriate for the occasion :)

Fresh doesn't brand itself as a natural beauty company but its products do contain some natural ingredients like shea butter and vitamins C & E. Though I prefer natural products in general, I really like Fresh and love these little toiletries. I'm thinking about wearing Citron de Vigne perfume on the big day to bring back memories of our engagement, wouldn't that be sweet?

Delighted Momma DIY Thyme Clear Complexion Toner

I love the blog Delighted Momma, which is written by an esthetician who favors natural and organic skincare products. Lindsay of Delighted Momma posts DIY skin care types from time to time and today I finally got to try one out - the Thyme Clear Complexion Toner!

The recipe is super simple and the ingredients are easy to find - Apple Cider Vinegar (organic cold pressed is best) and thyme! I found both of these items at Whole Foods for under $6 and the amount I purchased is enough for at least 5 batches.

To make the toner you heat 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then add 3 TBSP of thyme and let sit for up to 2 hours. Then strain into a bottle and enjoy! It took me about 2 minutes to mix up the toner, and now it's sitting happily in my garage steeping away. I do have to admit, the aroma of hot vinegar and thyme is pretty gnarly (hence the mixture got banished to the garage), but I'm excited to see the finished product. Lindsay recommends keeping the toner in the fridge to ensure freshness, and I bet the chill of the fridge will take the edge off the vinegar scent.

Do you have any DIY beauty treatments or recipes? I'd love to know!