I have a favorite new face cream (I’m always trying beauty products – seems there are new eco-friendly and non-toxic companies sprouting up all the time – see some of my other past favorites here… It’s Pristine Beauty’s Hooray for Brallywood Butta. It is fabulous.
Let me back up a bit and tell you how I came about this cute little company. I saw Sarma (from Pure Food n Wine) update her Facebook status that she was excited about their hair products. Since Sarma colors her hair, I figured this was a vetted hair system to check out. Typically, I am a fan of Morrocco Method’s super natural products, but they’re not a great fit for colored hair – boo! – so I had to find something new. After checking out some things on Sarma’s website, I went to Pristine Beauty’s website to research more.
Enter: Hooray for Brallywood Butta. I actually ordered a bunch of things after researching each product (or its ingredients) on EWG’s Skin Deep website.
The hair products – shampoo, conditioner and serum. The first time I tried these, it was a fairly good experience, but I wasn’t doing cartwheels. BUT! User error here! I needed to give them a second try to see if they were as great as her other offerings. You see, I think I must have used too much of the No Scary Hairy serum the first time (or I might not have used enough of the shampoo – I have loooong hair).
For my second attempt, I shampooed twice (I used 5 pumps worth with a repeat washing using 4 pumps – perhaps overkill? Next time I’ll try 4 and then 3). The hair conditioner is concentrated so I used 2 pumps for my long hair, mixed it with a bit of water, and applied (In fact, she recommends that as you use the bottle up, you can add water to dilute it because it’s so dense as is). For the No Scary Hairy Serum (hello – this also doubles as an intense skin moisturizer), I decided that this time I would only use 1 pump from the tester bottle pictured to the right (not 2 pumps) that they included in my first purchase (not sure if the regular size bottle gives a bigger pump’s worth… hmmm… maybe? I have the full size bottle at home – I went back and bought it with my second purchase. I’m writing this from mom’s house {by the way, have you read my mom’s latest blog? You might pee your pants from laughing. I pretty much did.} Anyway, I digress… I get so much energy from an all raw diet that I get chatty, as evidenced right now. Anyway, let me try again… I’m at mom’s… I brought my travel sample of No Scary Hairy… I used one pump’s worth this time and it’s a much better experience. Yay!)
Conclusion so far: I like the hair products (shampoo, conditioner and serum), very pleased, and I’ll buy them again. See for yourself how my hair looks in my latest videos where I didn’t even blow dry my hair and it’s still smooth and soft. AND. I find her products’ prices to be reasonable. Score. (By the way, I have naturally wavy hair and, so far, I think the serum is helpful for that.
Take a Whiff! Deodorant – Although I rarely wear deodorant (a perk of eating so much clean raw food), for those times I do wear it, this one ranks great with EWGs site. I don’t have much to report on Take a Whiff! yet other than to say it smells wonderful and I think the probiotics are a groovy addition. I’m curious as to whether they’re truly effective given that most probiotics need to be refrigerated(?) and that they lose oomph over time. Moreover, the company states that the deodorant could last about a year with normal use, so who knows about the probiotics at that point? Nonetheless, so far so good – this product works for me. But, note that I’m not a heavy sweater. That being said, to you heavy perspiring peeps out there… she offers tips for that.
Sunless Strip sunless tanner – I like the look of a sun-kissed face (looks youthful to me) but I don’t want the aging aspects of having one from crisping in the sun. This is where a self tanner can be great. I haven’t used one in almost a decade because they either weren’t effective or I was leery of the ingredients. In Pristine Beauty’s Sunless Strip, there is an ingredient that appears to be mid-range on EWGs site, but it’s lumped with other DHA dihydroxyacetone types that might be giving her ingredient from beets a bad rap – not sure? Anyway, I figured if I’m using it 1-2 times a week (if that since I don’t always go for tanned look), and only on my face and neck (the rest of my body gets a glow naturally from the sun while getting my vitamin D), then tis not bad given that the other ingredients are on the safe side so the overall rating, I suspect, would be pretty low for EWG (they don’t have this product in their system yet)… The results? This is an effective self tanner. It gives a sweet little glow after just 1-2 uses.
Hooray for Brallywood Butta – The main attraction for this post. I’m happy to report my intense love for this cream. It truly is a gem. Apart from the great formulation, this baby is a 5oz bottle for only 36 bucks and contains some organic ingredients. It uses a pump, which is important for keeping your cream fresh. Why don’t all companies do this? Plus, it’s in a glass bottle (gotta love that!). All of those things get high marks from me. But, does it work? Hell yes. I think it’s great. In addition, it smells divine. I want to lick my face after I put it on. Not only would that be silly though, it’s impossible. ;) It moisturizes beautifully AND it is a super primer before foundation. I was noticing lately how great my makeup looks and I attribute it to Hooray for Brallywood Butta. I also used to have some acne scars from long ago and they’re fading fast (I still can’t believe my eyes). Apparently, this is because she has yucca root in it. I like the stuff so much, I went back a few days later and ordered another bottle to keep at mom’s. I’m already planning my BFFs birthday gift (she’s getting a big box of Pristine Beauty stuff)… same for my mom. I’m a big fan, and I bet that you will be, too.
Being a beauty post, I have to give a shout out here to the Clarisonic Mia in being a key to helping me keep my skin super clear and soft (in addition to a healthy diet!!!). The Clarisonic Mia is a special skin cleansing brush. I’ve always known from beauty experts that it’s important to exfoliate your skin on a regular basis for truly trouble free skin. I used to use a fibrous exfoliating hemp washcloth but sometimes it was too rough and aggravated my skin more than anything else. The Clarisonic Mia, on the other hand, exfoliates unbelievably effectively and gently. But, it’s not just great at exfoliating. There are two other great benefits: It gets my skin super clean – like never before. After the first use I couldn’t believe how extra amazing my skin felt with no traces of makeup leftover. The other unique result from using this is that it helps my beauty products absorb more efficiently. That’s important! In addition to checking out the following info Clarisonic has to say about their product, be sure to read the glowing reviews on Amazon, too. (I don’t have the Clarisonic Pro, but I might upgrade one of these days. Not sure… the little Mia seems to be just great as is. I’ve been using it for at least a couple of years now.)
According to Clarisonic, the following are benefits that can be expected:
Leaves skin feeling and looking healthier and smoother
Removes 6 times more makeup than manual cleansing
Cleanses so well that products absorb better
Pores appear smaller
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
Gentle for use twice daily for different skin types
Back to Pristine Beauty… Here’s another groovy thing. The company’s founder is one sweet-n-saucy minx. She’s such a cutie in her YouTube videos, which you can access on her site. She gives you useful tips and tricks for using her products. (Seriously, I highly recommend watching them to make the most out of the products.) She’s a total blondie, and I love it. She (her name is Blaire) has an interesting history, which is what birthed her business. About five months after she had her baby girl, she found out she had cancer. Boo! Ick! After she started taking a closer look at the things she was eating and using on her body, she decided to make her own non-toxic goods. She researched the heck out of the ingredients that she uses and went to town making all kinds of lovely products.
Extra points for Pristine Beauty in that they’re cruelty free. Now, go treat yourself to some great products. Oh, and by the way, many Whole Foods Markets are now carrying Pristine Beauty so you might find them there.
Lastly, I’m glad you all are enjoying my videos. For those of you who don’t know, you can get caught up on them by clicking this Video link (which is also one of the top tabs on my blog). Anyway… I receive a lot of questions about the makeup I use. I’ve evolved a bit over the past few years and I’m ready to share details. I’ll do a video on this topic soon!
UPDATE: The noted beauty process doesn’t tell the whole store for my routine, but I wanted to share some new products that I love. I also use rose water in a spray bottle as a toner. I use a mix of cleansers (although Blaire says you can use her shampoo as a face cleanser). A couple favorite companies of mine are Dr. Alkaitis, Eminence Organics (found an some spas), and 100% Pure.