Bananarama

Any the ingredient du jour is...banana!

Bananas are one of my favorite foods, and they are also great natural moisturizers. Their high water and vitamin content make them great for softening and nourishing skin. For a simple skin- and hair-softerning mask, mash half a banana with some yogurt and honey. Or pick up one of the skin care products below featuring banana as an ingredient :)

Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme, $9/2oz.

Lush Banana Moon Soap, $7.95/3.5oz.

Lush King of Skin Body Butter Bar, $13.95/3.3oz.

Lush Sympathy for the Skin Body Lotion, $25.95/8.4oz.

Pure & Basic Wild Banana Vanilla Body Wash, $8.99/12oz.

The Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner, $8 each/8.4oz.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil

In one month I'll be on my way to Miami, Florida - the land of epic beach bodies and sun-kissed skin. Unfortunately I'm pretty pale nowadays, .  Enter The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil ($14/3.3oz, $22 for larger sizer). Following success with Tarte's Celebutante Mositurizing Shimmering Dry Oil I was happy to try a similar product with a bit more pigment. I haven't given Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil a full test run yet, but I did swab some on my hand at the store. It's thin, has medium pigmentation, and blends in with just a bit of rubbing. It has a jasmine scent that I find divine (it was the scent that launched a week-long obsession, then finally a purchase). However, some users who posted reviews on The Body Shop's website found it to be too strong/difficult to layer with other fragrances. I'm a one-note fragrance kind of girl anyway, so I have no problems with it.

I find the packaging to be really pretty (bonus points for glass => recyclable), with a heft that makes the product feel expensive and luxurious. The bottle has a small hole in the top (not sure what to call that type of applicator/bottle type) to dispense a small amount of product at a time. The oil does separate from the shimmery particulates, so you have to shake up the product before applying. I bought my bottle in store for $22, and I think there are about 6-8 ounces of product in the bottle. You can buy a smaller 3.3oz. bottle online for $14. I'm not sure why the smaller size isn't available in store, and the larger size isn't available online, but whatevs! The clerk who assisted me with my purchase said that her particular store was sold out of this product for a long time and they just got some back in. Good to know. Hurry and get yours while supplies last! ;)

P.S. I sniffed the Chocomania soaps (featured in my Valentine's Day Treats post) while I was there and they smelled positively delicious - like chocolate and coconut. I may bring one home with me next time I hit the mall....

geoGirl Lip Gloss in Orangeade

Buying lip gloss doesn't violate my "no buy" on lip balm...right? Haha ;) I picked up another flavor of geoGirl lip gloss ($4.29) - Orangeade. It's sheer orange tint and citrusy flavor are a nice pick-me-up, and the non-sticky texture will surely be nice when the weather warms up.

Green Beauty Blog Rating: *****

Survey - I've been tagged by sGreenJuice!

Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post. 
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things About Me:

1.  I am pretty interested in cars and other motor vehicles. I can identify most car makes and models by sight, I just have to learn how exactly they work!

2. I am an adventurous eater. I will eat just about anything.

3. I am seriously directionally-challenged. I like to find my way by landmarks, but I can't always find the landmarks :/

4. I like to do things the old-school way whenever possible. For example, I'd rather ask for directions than look up directions on my phone. This may contribute to me getting lost a lot.

5. I'm studying interior design and hope to be a designer someday!

6. My favorite color is blue/green (teal?). But I am a big fan of color in general, and love all the hues.

7. My nickname is LoLo.

8. My family has two chihuahuas and one fat cat - quite the menagerie!

9. My first major in college was marine biology.

10. I love animals, particularly birds and big cats.

11. I've owned a red lipstick for over a year but am still too shy to wear it out!

11 Questions I Had to Answer

1. What's your favorite thing to cook?
Pasta! It's so easy and there are so many possibilities. Plus it's easy to dress up or dress down.

2. Do you prefer your hair up or down?
 Up, but most people I know think I look better with my hair down. I took a lot of dance classes as a kid so I became very used to seeing my hair up!

3. What was the last good book you read?
The first that come to mind are the books in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. I'm slowly working my way through the movies (Swedish), and it's only fueling my excitement for my summer trip to Scandinavia!

4. Describe yourself in five words or less.
Fun, thoughtful, mischievous, goofy, self-critical.

5. If you could only use two makeup products, what would you choose?
Tinted lip balm and mascara.

6. Do you like talking on the phone?
Yes and no, it's fun but I much prefer talking in person.

7. What's one thing most people would be surprised to know about you?
I grew up in California and went to school in SoCal but I have not yet learned how to surf. It's a regret of mine, and I'm hoping to learn this summer!

8. Do you exfoliate your skin?  How often?  What do you use?
Yes, I exfoliate my face 1-2 times a week and my body about once a week. For my face I use a mix of face cleanser and sugar or St. Ive's Naturally Green Green Tea Scrub. As far as body scrubs, right now I'm using Green by Nature's Banana Shea Total Body Scrub.

9. Do you like to stay in or go out?
Both! I like getting dressed up and going out on the weekends, but I'm a big fan of cozy nights in as well, especially on weekdays.

10. What's your favorite/least favorite non-physical thing about yourself?  Why?
I'm carrying a bit of extra weight now, I think I would look a lot better without it. I'm hoping in the next few weeks I can get my butt in gear and get back in shape.

11. What do you do to de-stress?
Play with my pets, take a bath, watch bad reality TV :)

11 Questions for the People I Tag
1. If you could wake up tomorrow and speak another language, what would it be?
2. What is one goal you have for 2012?
3. What is your dream vacation spot?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. What would you rather give up for a month - makeup or dessert?
6. What countries or states have you visited?
7. How have your travels affected your perception of beauty, if they have at all?
8. What is your favorite feature to accentuate?
9. Do you prefer to wear lipstick or lipgloss?
10. Do you use a primer? If so, which one?
11. Who is your celebrity crush?

5 People I Tag (I'm cheating a bit since I don't know more than 5 people to tag)


1. Beauty Reflections
2. Bower of Blisse
3. The Natural Beauty Workshop
4. Organic Beauty Source
5. Chic & Green

NIQUEA.D Candles

A week or so before Christmas my boyfriend and I hit the mall to find a last-minute gift for my mom. Near the end of our trip we ducked into Papyrus and encountered a new collection of greeting cards, jewelry, accessories, and candles called NIQUEA.D. I can get a little crazy about candles, and the candles in this collection did not escape my adoration. Soy-based and poured into deeply-saturated glass votives, they sparkled like little jewels. And each votive was embossed with a gold unicorn, NIQUEA.D's logo. Of course, every candle smells fantastic. The boyfriend and I chose the Blue Hydrangea candle for my mom (Blue Hyrdangea is one of her favorite flowers) and Papyrus kindly wrapped it up for us. But the candle's packaging was so beautiful the gift wrapping almost seemed redundant.

The Scrooge in me is secretly plotting to "borrow" my mom's candle, but in all likelihood I'll end up splurging on my own. The candles aren't cheap - $15 for a votive (1.8oz) and $34 for the regular size (9.4oz) - but because of the soy base they have long burn times and shouldn't produce any soot. The 9.4oz candle has an estimated burn time of 55 hours, so the votive should burn about 10.5 hours. In addition to Blue Hydrangea, NIQUEA.D candles also come in Citrus Blossom, Emerald Forest, Ginger Sandalwood, Wild Currant, and Cranberry Clove scents. Buy them here or find them at a store near you here.

Hope you enjoyed! Now I want to watch The Last Unicorn...