Product Review: Monica's Cococastile Soap

Confession: I love bars of soap! Whether I'm having a bad day or rewarding myself, pulling out a new fragrant bar of soap really hits the spot.

Image: Monica's Cococastile Soap

One day at the farmer's market, I saw a table full of soap and immediately proceeded to 'oooh' and 'ahhh' over the pretty colors and lovely smells. Monica, who makes the soaps, took the opportunity to give me a sample of her oatmeal bar. She explained that her soaps are all natural and can be used as shampoo and for shaving too. I was very skeptical of these additional claims, but I decided to keep an open mind.

I first tried it on my face and body. It was wonderful! My skin felt clean and soft, and even after a hot shower, there was no tightness. Then I tried shaving with it. This was a little less successful as the oatmeal soap has little bits of exfoliating oatmeal that got stuck in the razor. So I went out and got her Bay Rum scented soap, which is smooth with no additional bits. I gave it another try, and it worked great. The shave is not as smooth as with shaving cream, but I like the soap as a quick, natural alternative that doesn't leave rust rings in the bath tub.

Finally, I had to try the shampoo claim. I seriously did not think it would work. I have fine, curly hair that is unruly and addicted to conditioner. But Monica said that she did not need conditioner with her soap, so I just shampooed and let it dry naturally with no product. Let me tell you, I was shocked. While my hair still had some frizz, it was so soft and the curls got tighter and... curlier! For not having conditioned or added any product, my hair looked great.

I like Monica's Cococastile Soap so much that it has kind of ruined other bars of soap for me. While I still enjoy opening up a fun, new bar of soap, I find myself using it for only a couple days before I put it away and pull out Monica's soap. My favorites are Oatmeal, Bay Rum and Patchouli-Ylang Ylang. I highly recommend trying them out for yourself.

The Details

Ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, fragrance, food grade dyes, and natural essential oils.

Price: $5.50 for 6 oz bar

Availability: online at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SoapmakerMonica, and locally in Gainesville (Ward's Citizen's Co-Op, Union Street Farmer's Market on Wednesdays)

Trends & Techniques: Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

First a little background on my skin...

Image credit www.clinique.com

When I hit puberty, I remember my mom taking me to the Clinque counter at Burdines and buying me a 3 Step kit. I was skin typed a mild bar-, clarifying 2-, and dramatically different-kind-of girl. I was so excited that I was ridiculously diligent about cleansing my skin twice a day. Maybe as a result of regular care or maybe good genes, I have been blessed with great skin.

If we get generic, I have combination skin leaning toward the dry side. As a teenager, I thankfully never suffered from acne. On the contrary, my skin was something I didn't think much about to the point I barely ever wore make up. I still don't wear much make up, but luck with my skin changed as I grew older and learned what real stress was. While, knock on wood, I still don't have issues with acne, I occasionally get 'regional' breakouts on my chin and around my nose. And when I get pimples, they are specifically the cystic, painful kind. Ouch!

All these things combined, I'm still lucky in the skin department. My biggest complaints are dark circles and the texture of my skin. I am a sucker for product commercials touting bright, radiant, flawless skin. However, most of these products do nothing more for me than irritate my skin. I find that I have to manage my exfoliation schedule with great care... exfoliate too much or too often and I end up with rough, uneven skin that is even more prone to those 'regional' breakouts. For this reason, I am very sensitive to the type of exfoliation methods I try on my skin.

Image credit www.olay.com

But my boyfriend's mom knows that I have been working on the blog and homemade beauty products, so she got me the Olay Pro-X Advance Cleansing System starter kit for Christmas. She used one herself. I'd also had a conversation with a colleague about how she loves her brush. I'm not sure which brand, but she said a friend recommended it. It was part of her daily beauty routine, one of the things that worked really well on her skin. I was cautious about trying products like the Pro-X, but the recommendations made me curious.

My Experience:

The batteries were a pain to put in. My guess is that it is on purpose to make it waterproof, but it took a few of us a few tries to get them in. That being said, it was very nice that the batteries were included. The bristles on the brush head were softer than I expected, which made me a little less cautious to try it out. It also had a good feel to it, fitting my hand nicely. At Sephora they had a spin brush display, and I didn't like the “feel” of some of the pricier brands. They were clunky!

I hoped in the shower and grabbed the brush and the trial cleanser that came with it. I've used Olay products in the past, mainly the Beauty Fluid, with good results, so I decided to try it as the company intended. Moistening my skin with warm water first, I applied the exfoliating cleanser and got to work with the brush. Using soft circular motions, I glided it lightly over the surface of my skin, applying even pressure throughout the process. All in all, it was a nice experience and my skin definitely felt as if it had shed a layer, but I didn't really like the cleanser. It was not a good lubricant between my skin and the brush.

My skin was a little red afterward, but I applied some Aloe Life Skin Gel followed by Floraesthetic's My Favorite Moisturizer and the redness went away. My skin did look a little brighter, but the texture was actually a little rougher. As the day went on, I kept tabs and the texture remained too...well... too textured!

Image credit www.himalayausa.com

I tried the brush a week later with Organique Neem & Turmeric Face Wash, a bit drying for winter but it has a great gel consistency that I thought would be a better lubricant for the Pro-X brush. It was better and my skin was not as red following the treatment. At this point I'm still not a fan of the texture issue, but I did try it on my lips and really, really like how it sloughs away all the dry, chapped skin. My lips were silky!

I got my boyfriend in on the brush testing. He likes a little more exfoliation than I do, so I use the Neem & Turmeric again, and he liked the Pro-X brush exfoliation just fine. He also wanted some lip action ;-)

Overall, the Advance Cleansing System is not my favorite tool. But in this case, I think it's personal preference and a skin sensitivity issue. My mom loves Buff Puff's, but they are too rough on me too. Occasionally, I use Mary Kay's Microderm Scrub, but I have to be very gentle. However, I am glad to have the brush if just for using it on my lips. I keep it away from water in the shower in a little caddy where it can dry. It is easy to use, easy to clean and easy on the wallet at just under $30. My co-worker and my boyfriend like it just fine. And though I won't use it on my face regularly, it will come in handy for keeping my lips soft and for more serious exfoliation during at-home facials.

If you have tried the Olay Pro-X Advance Cleansing System, let me know how you liked it!

Product Review: Aloe Life's Skin Gel

This 99% certified organic whole leaf aloe vera gel is definitely my current favorite product. I find it to be simple, effective and versatile. I use Skin Gel on my face under moisturizer to treat my dry skin to a boost of hydration. I use it as hair gel, a little goes a long way. I've applied it on burns, my dog's itchy skin, and so on.

I've tried a few brands of aloe gels, but Aloe Life's Skin Gel has a great consistency and doesn't have to be refrigerated like other natural brands. The very strong aloe smell takes some getting used to, but I'd rather use the unscented kind because I'm using it on my face too. It's affordable at approximately $10 for 4-8 oz, depending on the website. I really recommend Skin Gel as an essential addition to your beauty product arsenal.

Ingredients: 99% Certified Organic Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice Concentrate No.103857, Seaweed-thickening agent, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Azulene (Chamomil Extract), Allantoin (Extract from Comfrey), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate.

Welcoming a fanstastic New Year for Floraesthetics

I was browsing beauty blogs and realized many writers are sharing their New Year's resolutions with readers. As I reflected on the things they are focusing on for 2012, I found myself inspired to write my own resolutions.

Last year, I only wrote a few resolutions to help me stay on track. I wanted to drink more water (did not do so well in the execution phase), I wanted to write a business plan for Floraesthetics (not much luck), and I wanted to take a vacation to a cozy mountain retreat with my beau (again did not happen).

Floraesthetics Holiday Collection

Instead of feeling defeated, I was actually inspired by reading bloggers' resolutions because I started to think about all the great things that came, in part, from my resolution-making.

While I did not drink more water, I did eat much healthier in 2011 and my motivation is still strong. My boyfriend and I put together a list of superfood-inspired ingredients to incorporate into our diet in 2012. As he says, the key to a healthy diet is high-nutrient food with low-caloric values. I will again resolve to drink more water, but I feel great about our nutritional progress in 2011.

I didn't write the business plan. That was one of the harder things on my list. However, I did put a lot of time and effort into Floraesthetics. Floraesthetics officially has a website & blog www.floraesthetics.com, a Facebook page www.facebook.com/floraesthetics, can be followed on Twitter www.twitter.com/floraesthetics, and a YouTube Channel at, you guessed it, www.youtube.com/floraesthetics. I also created a bunch of fantastic skin care products and learned a lot from the recipes that did not come out so great. I have kind friends and family that are courageously testing my products and helping me perfect formulas. I took my first entrepreneur steps in 2011, even if that did not involve writing a business plan.

Finally, I did not go on a retreat, but I did get to travel often for work. That included some fun leisure time, like going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the wonderfully-exotic Spa at Four Seasons Resort Nevis. There, I treated myself to one of the best pedicures of my life. The facilities were to die for with gorgeous mountain views, a relaxing ambiance, and very skilled, courteous staff. I also went on a group camping trip with family and friends. Despite the bugs and heat, we had a great time.

As the New Year begins, I'm going to put together a wish list to guide and inspire me throughout the coming year.

1. Be positive and optimistic – easier said than done, but this makes all the difference in the world.
2. Spend more quality time with my family – whether it was with my boyfriend, family or even my pets, I found that I had a lot on my mind during “quality” time in 2011. I want to focus on enjoying the time with my family rather than letting my mind wander to work, to-do lists or other distractions.
3. Eat healthy – his resolution includes drinking and eating more nutritionally in 2012. I want to drink more water and decrease my caffeine consumption, as well as incorporate more superfoods into our diet. Paired with a natural beauty routine, this resolution should be reflected on my skin at the end of 2012.
4. Start a vegetable garden – even if it's just a few, potted veggies, maybe peppers or tomatoes, I want to learn to garden more than just herbs. 
5. Exercise – I always have a hard time with this all-time-most-resolved-new year resolution. I go through phases, but I want to try really hard to be consistent. My knees gave me problems in 2011, but hopefully my 10-year high school reunion in June will be a good motivator. Yoga and pilates, here I come. And for my beauty inspired resolutions.... drum roll please...
6. Perfect Floraesthetic's first all-natural skin care line – I'm getting closer to this goal every day. See Floraesthetics Holiday Collection above. It's exciting!
7. Write a blog post a week – again, consistency is the key. I even created a nice work space in my apartment to create a conducive and creative environment. I am thinking of scheduling monthly topics, like these:

• Week 1 – Product Review: review a skin care, make-up, bath and body or lifestyle product. As I'm just starting my beauty blog, I will use my current stash of products (natural or not) to get me started.
• Week 2 – DYI Testing: write about my product formulation and testing journey. I will share some formulas when I'm SURE they are easy to make and effective, and some formulas I will keep with the goal of developing a product line. Regardless, writing about my experience will help me stay focused and record my progress.
• Week 3 – Information: this will cover techniques, news, ingredients and trends from the beauty world.
• Week 4 – Wildcard: I don't want my blog to feel like another product review site. As a public relations professional, cooking aficionado, sometimes news junkie and all-around curious person, I come across tons of non-beauty things that I want to share with the world. Whether a new recipe or an interesting news story or a rant about a pet peeve, I will use the Wildcard week to add some spice to my blog.

Seven is a good number, a nice achievable number. Wish me luck!