DIY Trio of Essential Oil Bath Salts.

Since discovering a passion for my DoTERRA essential oils, I've been reawakened in my love for DIY as well. Now don't get me wrong - I've been talking about recovering the chairs in my dining room for 3+ years now. But mixing up some essential oils in test tubes with some rock salt? That is not only something that is relatively easy (okay really really easy), but it also can be enjoyed right away!

My sister Rachel originally helped me make a batch of these EO bath salts as party favors for my 30th birthday back in the fall. And friends! When I say these are easy to make, I'm not teasing you here. They are EASY, and they make awesome Galentines gifts, along with batchelorette, Valentine and birthday presents! Who doesn't love being pampered with beautiful, nourishing and pure products? I like to give these in sets of 3, so that the giftee can experience all the different blends!

Supplies:
- Set of test tubes with cork toppers
- Organic Epsom Salt
- Essential Oils (I love and use DoTERRA oils - get yours here!)
- Funnel
- Labels (you can make your own or buy some!) or washi tape
- 3 gallon-size zip-top bags

Method:
1.) Pour 3/4 oz. of Epsom salt into a gallon-size zip-top bag.
2.) Drop in essential oils (see blend recommendations below) and zip up the bag.
3.) Shake the bag until the oils are well mixed.
4.) Using the funnel, carefully pour the salt into a test tube. Seal the containers.
5.) Attach label or washi tape so you can tell the difference between the batches.

Blends:
Clear Your Mind Blend
- 8 drops Lemon essential oil
- 8 drops Rosemary essential oil

Calm Your Heart Blend
- 8 drops Lavender essential oil
- 6 drops Frankincense essential oil
- 2 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil

Respiratory Boost Blend
- 12 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
- 4 drops Peppermint essential oil

Each of these blends makes 1 test tube, but feel free to triple or quadruple the batch to fill all the containers.

Soaking in an Epsom salt bath is an excellent way to detox the body from toxins and chemicals, as well as supplement the necessary magnesium that most of us are deficient in. The essential oils provide a boost of energy, immune defense and calming properties to help target those specific needs.

A tub soak of this nature is best paired with a mud mask (I just got this one and I'm excited to try it!) along with the Magnolia magazine and a glass of wine. But then again, maybe that's just me.

I hope you have fun giving these bath salts a try! Let me know in the comments section how it goes for you!

Green Beauty Trials: Shampoo + Conditioner.

The Green Beauty Trials are living on into 2018! I've been slowly but surely transitioning my makeup, skin care and hair care products to greener, more natural and organic products and even though its a long process of trial and error, I'm loving it! I think it helps that I have a forum here to share my discoveries - it helps me feel like there's a greater purpose in all of it! I used to bum hard about trying green beauty products because they just didn't seem to perform nearly as well as conventional products - but that's no longer the case! I am loving this treasure hunt of finding new, safer and cleaner products that work amazingly well! Today I want to share with you about the hair care products I've recently tried (and the ones I love!)

Josh Rosebrook
I tried the Josh Rosebrook Nourish Shampoo and Balance Conditioner because I read amazing reviews about it. I really liked it, but I can't say that I loved it. The thing that I absolutely love about this brand is the real-deal commitment to quality - these products are all crafted in small batches in order to ensure the highest quality product. They are formulated with almost entirely organic ingredients, all of which are nature-based (think lots of herbs and essential oils and, well, oils!) However, all those oils seemed to leave their mark and I felt like there was a bit of oil residue left over after each time that I washed my hair. So that wasn't my favorite. The Nourish Shampoo has an interesting scent  - not bad, but not my favorite. I preferred the scent of the Balance Conditioner, so I felt like I was at least finishing my hair off with something that smelled the way I liked.

Innersense
It's a bit more expensive, but next I decided to go for the big Kahuna - the Innersense line of shampoo and conditioner that I had heard nothing but rave reviews about. I opted for the Color Awakening Hairbath and Color Awakening Daily Conditioner because of my colored hair. I love this combo you guys. It feels really luxurious and yet really simple. The shampoo doesn't really lather because it doesn't contain sulfates (praise hands for all the missing GARBAGE ingredients), but I like to put a dollop of shampoo in my hands, take a deep whiff, then proceed to scrub it into my scalp reeeeeeal good. It smells good. It cleans. It seems to be protecting my color pretty wonderfully. And the ingredient list pleases me so. It's my Green Beauty Shampoo + Conditioner recommendation so far!

One Love.
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about this killer One Love Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser. This is a multi-purpose cleanser that can be used for anything - body, face and hair! I really love products that can be used for multiple uses (like this and this! My faves!), and this one is being added to the list of "I can't believe I didn't start using this sooner" products in my world. I keep this cleanser out on my bathroom counter and use it to wash my face before I go to bed at night AND to wash my bangs with every day. I don't wash my hair every day, but my bangs look really greasy if I don't freshen them up daily. So I wet my bangs, put one pea-sized drop of this cleanser in my fingers and lather it into my hair line. Then I rinse and dry my bangs. Within about 3 minutes my hair goes from looking kind of homely to pretty darn fresh, and I owe it all to this wondrous product.

There you have it, friends! I hope these Green Beauty Trials are helpful to you as you navigate the journey of transitioning your products! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions! xx

Curious about finding more natural products to swap into your line up? You can check out more of my Green Beauty Trials here.

The Body Oil I'm Using Everyday (+ a Giveaway for you!)

As many of you know, I've been on a green beauty journey over the past 6 months or so. I've been testing everything from mascara and shampoo to serums and toners. It's a lot to take on at once! But I've just gotten to the point where I want to decrease the toxic load in my home (and on my body!), so the research and trial-and-error is all worth it. While I've found some face oils that I am loving lately (which I will include in a separate post, because I didn't want to overwhelm with too much information here), I kept striking out when I was looking for a premium body oil. I wanted it to smell good (duh), be super moisturizing but not greasy, free of toxic ingredients and instead made with safe botanicals and essential oils. You all know how much I love my Doterra oils... so, the bar for a stellar-performing body oil was set rather high.

Which brings me to Little Barn Apothecary.

The Discovery.
I discovered Little Barn when I was celebrating my 30th birthday at Serenbe this past September. They have locations at Serenbe, Westside Provisions in Atlanta and down in Watersound, Florida at The Hub on 30A. Shannon took great care of me in the store, explaining the LBA philosophy (which totally resounds with me) and proceeded to load me up with some incredible samples. I went home to try the body oil and I was honestly overwhelmed. I had found the one! I ran out of this remarkable sample oil in like 3 days because I couldn't stop basically bathing in it. Even Stevie came home from work and said, "Whoa, you smell really good. Like really, really good... what is that?" I tried to pass it off as my naturally alluring scent, but we've known each other far too long for that to work on him. He was like, "no for real - what is that??"

So let me just tell you a little about this heavenly Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil. Formulated for all skin types, this oil is best used just after you get out of the shower, when your skin is still damp. It is a daily moisturizer that is non-greasy and quickly absorbs into the skin to give you an all-day glow. It also smells super indulgent, like you've been bathing inside the nectar of a flower and then spritzed with a squeeze of citrus juice. Which is #lifegoals, am I right? I imagine this is what Tinker Bell smelled like, that lucky lass.

I love that Little Barn Apothecary believes in the power and healing of all-natural ingredients, centering each of their products around the simple focus of being a safe, pure alternative to the chemical-laden self care products in today’s market. This has been my mission with my Green Beauty Trials, to find companies just like this one! Score!

The Story Behind the Brand.
Little Barn Apothecary founders Joshua and Brad started the brand in their kitchen after realizing there was a void in the market for handmade, uncomplicated self-care products. The beauty market is flooded with chemical-laden products that wreak havoc on the body, and they were passionate about creating alternatives. After sharing some of the items with friends and family, they were met with enthusiastic requests for more and decided to expand their line. In 2015, Little Barn Apothecary was debuted to the public with the promise that the product line is “simply simple”, meaning that the botanical ingredients in each product is 100% natural and selected by hand. All products are hand crafted in small-batch apothecary tradition and sold in recycled glass bottles with minimal packaging. Every product is 100% vegan and organic, containing wild-harvested ingredients whenever possible. All the products are free of synthetic ingredients, artificial colors, parabens or any sort of “fillers”. Little Barn takes inspiration from the earth to provide hand made formulations designed to evoke a simple feeling of well-being.

Discount for YOU!
Well, whatever they're doing, it's working. Stevie keeps trying to steal my body oil, that rascal. If you want to snag your own, you can shop here and receive 15% off any purchase by using the code KRISTENH at checkout. Stock up on Christmas gifts, my friends! I am also a huge fan of the Ginger + Rosemary Hand and Body Wash and the Lavender + Frankincense Original Oil (amazing essential oils for supporting overall skin health!) I love dropping an extra drop or two of my Doterra essential oils in these products for added potency. Hurray for all the oils!

Giveaway!
I'm super excited to partner with LBA to give away a "Glow For It" kit to one of you! This amazing set contains contains my beloved Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, the Sweetgrass + Lavender soap and the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Scrub. Jump over to my Instagram (@oykristen) for your chance to enter! Winner will be selected and notified on 11/22, Thanksgiving eve!

More about the Kit:
The “Glow For It” Body Kit comes in a limited edition box, complete with three items to help you achieve a natural, healthy glow, even in the dead of winter. First, cleanse skin with the Sweetgrass + Lavender Soap Bar, an organic, gentle soap made for all over body cleansing with essential oils to create the perfect aroma in your shower. Next, exfoliate with the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Body Scrub, perfect for dry skin. This scrub uses pure, organic cane sugar and organic, skin loving oils to scrub away dead skin and reveal a softer, more youthful glow. After stepping out of the shower, pump a small amount of the Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, and massage over still damp skin. This luxurious daily moisturizer is non-greasy and formulated for all skin types. It quickly absorbs deep into the skin to give you an all-day, glistening glow while sending you on an indulgent journey of sun-drenched blossoms, lightly kissed by delicate pink citrus. The “Glow For It” Body Kit is priced at $70 with a retail value of $80 and is available online at littlebarnapothecary.com and at select retailers.

Green Beauty Trials: Blush & Highlighter.

I'm continuing the non-toxic beauty trials! I have been so surprised at how many wonderful products I've discovered since deciding to go green with my beauty routine. I assumed this would be an expensive and unsatisfying process, but surprisingly, it's been the opposite! So many online natural beauty retailers offer affordable sample packs which makes it easier to try out products and shades before committing. And the industry has come such a long way because there are so many high-performing products that truly rival all the conventional ones from my old makeup bag. In fact, I think it's time to toss out my old stuff - this green beauty thing isn't just a fad for me.

I am still in the process of trying out a few other blush options, but I'm not in any rush because I love what I'm sharing here today!

Blush:
ILIA Multistick
in "A Fine Romance" and "At Last"
If I could pick my favorite green makeup discovery since embarking upon this journey, this would be the one. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I have used it every single day since I got it (especially in the "At Last" shade) and I will keep doing so! I've always thought multisticks couldn't possibly work really well for more than one thing, but this one proved me wrong - it actually performs so well! The cheek tint goes on really creamy and has buildable color, so if you want just a hint of color or more of a pop, you can use this stick to achieve both! And I love the color on my lips - "At Last" looks like a naturally pretty everyday color while "A Fine Romance" has that rosy, french-girl-just-rolled-out-of-bed look to it. I love both shades and have been wearing them everyday for over two months now. Using this stick on my cheeks and lips makes me look and feel put-together in under 60 seconds, which is all I get for beauty on some days (#momlife).

Highlighter:
Galaxy Milk Illuminate Beauty Oil
I haven't ventured much into the world of illuminators (I have a healthy fear of the whole contouring practice), so this one was a step outside of my normal zone. My sister was wearing it and it looked so so pretty on her, so I had to give it a try. First of all, it smells like a heaven of vanilla. SO good. And second, you don't need a lot to achieve a shimmery, kissed-by-starlight effect. This is really fun if you're going out at night or want to look extra dewy, but it's not a daily must-have (for me). Also, I purchased the sample size of this and it was plenty! If you decide to purchase, definitely purchase this size! This would also look really pretty if you were wearing a tank top and applied some to your shoulders and decolletage. 

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
This product has so much hype about it so I thought I should give this one a try, too. I applied it to the tops of my cheekbones and it gives an even, pearly sheen. It really brightens my face and has more of a foundation texture, so it glides on in a creamy way. I like how it brightens the area beneath my eyes just enough to make me look awake but not so much that I look like a teenybopper going to a Backstreet Boys concert (although man, those were THE DAYS.)

I still want to try out a few Kjaer Weis lip and cheek tints, because this brand is known for the vibrant pigments (and fancy packaging!) I also want to try a few more multisticks, like this one from RMS, this one from W3LL PEOPLE and this one from Vapour, because they are all highly rated. Multisticks offer such a value - and they free up a lot of space in my makeup bag :)

Any other natural, non-toxic cosmetics or brands that you think I should look into? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

P.S. - My picks for the best non-toxic mascara and foundation + concealer :)

Green Beauty Trials: Foundation.

Foundation - it's pretty much the foundation of the face. Ha, see what I did there? Okay, I tried a bunch of clean foundations in order to find the best one for my needs, but I also kept all of you in mind while I was trying the different products. I wanted to be able to share all my findings with you! So in continuing with this green beauty series, here are my picks (and experience) with finding a foundation that works for me.

In terms of what I was looking for - I wanted a foundation that was lightweight enough where it didn't feel like foundation, but with enough coverage to hide my blemishes and scars. I have used mineral powder makeup for years, but lately have been drawn to the ease of beauty balms and color corrective creams. So I focused on sampling foundations that were much like that - a lightweight, moisturizing liquid that dried to a matte finish.

Foundation:
1.) Lily Lolo BB Cream in "Light"
I liked this BB Cream, but didn't fall head over heels with it in terms of treating it as a foundation. It provides a light amount of coverage, kind of like a sheer tint. This is the kind of thing I would put on if I were going to spend the day at the beach, but it's not something I would want for everyday because it didn't provide enough coverage. I have some sun spots and acne scars, and this didn't do anything to hide those. However, if you have really clear skin, this would be a great option for you, because it is a really lightweight option and made with extremely clean, non-toxic ingredients.

2.) Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Honey" & "Sand"
I didn't want to like Beautycounter. I really didn't. But this skin tint is so darn good. I loved both shades - "Honey" being perfect for when I have a little bit of a tan and "Sand" being more of my natural skin color. After sampling both for about a week I purchased the "Sand" shade and have been wearing it ever since. I love this skin tint because it goes on really light, like a BB cream, but it has build-able coverage - I apply a little extra in some areas and it covers my imperfections, while other areas could still have just a very light amount on and it all blends together perfectly. Love this product. A lot. Many thanks to Hannah Tanner for sending me these samples!

3.) Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30
I needed to know about the hype of Josh Rosebrook products, so I was excited to try this particular day cream. While I liked the build-able nature of the Beautycounter skin tint, this one was also really compelling because it's sheer and almost gleaming. I wouldn't want that kind of glow everyday because the texture is a little bit like sunscreen, but it really did make my skin extra glowy and felt very fresh. This would be another great lightweight option for spring or summer.

4.) Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation in "Echo"
This foundation was a close second for me, and in fact, I will probably purchase this in the future when I need something with heavier coverage. This feels more like a traditional liquid foundation, providing a full face of coverage. It goes on light and creamy and immediately sets into a matte-like finish. I wouldn't want to wear this everyday, just out of a personal preference, because I like wearing something that doesn't feel like heavy makeup. However, like I said, I will probably purchase this for days when I need more coverage, like if I'm filming or photographing something special.

BONUS FIND: Concealer + Setting Powder
I'm including my picks for concealer and setting powder in this post because I only tried one of each and immediately fell in love with both - there was no need to keep trying a bunch of other products! I love when that happens. I've been super impressed with most of the W3LL People cosmetics, and I must not be alone - so many websites are out of stock of these items. Thankfully, The Detox Market seems to keep them in stock so I haven't had any trouble there. And here's a public service announcement - select Target stores carry W3LL People, so you could check out some of the line there! Sadly, my Target does not, and most of the items aren't available to order online, but if you're one of the lucky ones who have them in your local Target, then you can check it out in person! Otherwise, I would happily encourage you to sample these products before purchasing them full-price - The Detox Market offers a sample program where you can try 4 products for $7.99 - one of the best deals I've seen, in terms of sampling luxury, high-end natural products! Okay, PSA over.

W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light"
This concealer is the bomb. It actually covers my acne scars (of which I have many) and has a brightening affect. I put this under my eyes to cover the dark circles and it acts as a non-shimmery highlighter, brightening up the tired areas under my eyes. I love this stuff.

W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder
I've been using the Bare Minerals Tinted Powder for years, and I was happy to learn on the Think Dirty app that it is actually a pretty clean powder. However, I wanted to find something that was even a bit cleaner, in terms of ingredients, and I only had to try this setting powder by W3LL People to find exactly what I was looking for. Once I am completely finished putting on my makeup, I apply this powder all over my face as the last step.

My Recommendation:
I love the Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Sand" for my everyday look. I pair it with the W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" to cover my skin imperfections and use the W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder to finish my makeup and keep everything in place for the day. However, I would happily recommend the Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation if you're looking for something with a heavier coverage and super matte finish. And if you're looking for something extremely light with a bit of tint and a glowy finish, then the Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream is the right pick for you.

Any green beauty foundations that you have tried and loved? If so, I would love to hear from you!

P.S. - Feel free to take a peek at my natural mascara picks and the reason why I decided to go green with my beauty routine.