First, I want to thank Eco-Office Gals for even making these reviews possible, I was floored when I won the 2nd annual Green my World Earth Day Giveaway! As part one of two, I will be reviewing the personal care products I received.

From EcoStore USA, I received two of each bar soap that they offer. The scents offered are coconut, vanilla, lemongrass, and manuka honey & kelp. I really liked the freshness of the lemongrass scent and the subtly sweet vanilla. And the coconut, well, it made me feel like I was on vacation in Hawaii when I used it! However, my favorite was the manuka honey & kelp. It smells faintly of the sea and it has exfoliating properties, which I found invigorating.

Affordable Mineral Makeup has so many great products that it was hard to choose which ones I wanted. I ended up choosing coconut organic lip balm, light green concealer, and defense primer. Since I am a lip balm junkie, that was the first thing I tried. It is not heavy or sticky and leaves my lips looking luscious and soft. The light green concealer is great for covering blemishes and stays put throughout the day. I am absolutely in love with the defense primer…. my skin looked porcelain pretty after I used it under my foundation. 

I received the Rose Monsoon Hydrating Mist from Ely Organics. This is a great product to carry in your purse for those hot days when you need a quick refresher. Just take it out and spray it on your face a couple of times for a real pick-me-up. It smells faintly of roses and helps to awaken the skin as well as the senses.

Kir DeVries has a Natural All-in-One Body Bar in Floral Scent, which I just had to have. The smell is divine, it reminds me of summer. And the best part? It feels great on the skin and does not leave any residue behind.

Cactus & Ivy sent me an Almond Biscotti Body Souffle. When I opened it, I just melted, thinking I am supposed to use this on my skin, not eat it right? It smells divinely of rich, decadent desserts. When they say a little goes a long way, they mean it. I like to use this at night because it is a little too rich for me for daytime wear, and my skin feels so nourished and moisturized when I wake up each morning. This was one of my favorite products.

From Natural Luxe I received the Nettiescrub Body Buff in Lemon Scent. Talk about waking up in the morning! The smell of this and the feel of the granules on my skin are enough to start my day off on the right foot.

My very favorite products came from Sarva Soap. I ordered three bar soaps, the scents were Santosha, Cedar Aloe, and Ocean Mist. Santosha reminds of something you would smell in a day spa. It is a beautiful scent. Cedar Aloe smells mostly of cedar with a faint hint of aloe. Ocean Mist was my favorite scent. I felt like I was walking on the beach when I used it. This soap also works as an exfoliate. These bar soaps are beautifully crafted and beautifully packaged. I would highly recommend these as a personal treat or a gift for a loved one.

Stay tuned for part two!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Ginny’s GMW Giveaway Review Part 1

Rae Lynn Glispin of Kidz Comfort won the first “You’re the Balm” Giveaway from Cactus & Ivy and I got some wonderful feedback from her!  Part of my mission at Eco-Office Gals is to support small businesses growing green.  The relaunch was a great opportunity to spotlight green businesses and hopefully introduce my readers to some great companies.   If you won any of the prizes from the Eco-Office Gals Relaunch and would like to give us your own review of your giveaway please contact me!

I am so psyched that I won this giveaway!  After trying all three products, I am hooked!

First of all, I am a already a self-proclaimed lip balm addict.  Now that I’ve tried the Lip Service Lip Balm from Cactus & Ivy, I cannot go back to the “old” lip balm any longer.  I always thought my old lip balm was so great, but Lip Service feels so much better, less waxy and so much more softening.

Along with that I also won the Cactus & Ivy Peppermint Tree Foot Balm and the Butter Me Up Body Balm.  WOW!  The Foot Balm is so soothing.  What a great way to drift off to sleep at night, with this soothing peppermint foot balm under your socks.  I love it!

The Butter Me Up Body Balm was even more surprising.  I could not imagine how this body balm could be better than the lotions that I use.  Boy did it blow them all away.  It’s getting very cold here in New England, and I have a bad habit of taking very hot showers in the morning to warm up.  That dries my skin out so badly that I then usually load up on body lotions.  They just don’t last though.  I have to reapply and reapply throughout the day.  Not with this body balm.  I put it on in the morning under my pants and my legs stay so soft and moisturized ALL DAY LONG.  No need to reapply at all.  I am fascinated and hooked.

Thanks so much for the great products!  I LOVE THEM!

Appreciatively,
Rae Lynn Glispin of Kidz Comfort

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Relaunch Product Review! Cactus & Ivy

No you are not opening and old post!  When I approached companies to participate in the Eco-Office Gals Relaunch Lisa was generous enough to offer TWO “You’re The Balm” Bags! Thank you to my new Twitter buddy & fellow South Carolinian! Since things got behind due to the feedburner issue this last giveaway will run through the weekend!

Cactus & Ivy is a cruelty free and vegan manufacturer of natural spa, bath and body products.  Cactus & Ivy is committed to offering products free of animal testing, artificial flavors, colors and fragrance. They utilize oils that are high in Omega 3, Vitamin A, C, D, E & F, Oleic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid & Linoleic Acid to revitalize and restore the skins normal balance.

Cactus & Ivy is offering this wonderful “You’re The Balm!” Bag a $29.25 retail value:

• Peppermint Tree Foot Balm – Our signature balm! A soothing blend of oils and vegetable waxes to create a balm perfect for daily moisturizing of your feet. Use this balm as needed or for an intense overnight treatment.

• Butter Me Up Body Balm – A combination of soothing oils and cocoa butter give this balm a nice glide on your skin.  Perfect for after shave use, soothe sun burned skin or an all over intense moisturizer for dry, itchy skin, especially on the knees and elbows.

• Lip Service Lip Balm – Creamy blend of oils, candelilla wax, grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E, plain or essential oils of spearmint and peppermint.

Want to win this “You’re the Balm” bag?  Either visit Cactus & Ivy and come back here to comment on your favorite product, sign up for the Eco-Office Gals updates and comment to let me know you did… or both for 2 entries!  Let others know about today’s giveaway by posting on your blog or Twitter for additional entries.   For each entry leave a separate comment.  Winners will be announced this evening! Good luck!!

If you’re reading this in an e-mail feed, click here to leave a comment!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

“You’re The Balm” Revisited!

Cactus & Ivy is a cruelty free and vegan manufacturer of natural spa, bath and body products.  Cactus & Ivy is committed to offering products free of animal testing, artificial flavors, colors and fragrance. They utilize oils that are high in Omega 3, Vitamin A, C, D, E & F, Oleic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid & Linoleic Acid to revitalize and restore the skins normal balance.

Cactus & Ivy is offering this wonderful “You’re The Balm!” Bag a $29.25 retail value:

• Peppermint Tree Foot Balm – Our signature balm! A soothing blend of oils and vegetable waxes to create a balm perfect for daily moisturizing of your feet. Use this balm as needed or for an intense overnight treatment.

• Butter Me Up Body Balm – A combination of soothing oils and cocoa butter give this balm a nice glide on your skin.  Perfect for after shave use, soothe sun burned skin or an all over intense moisturizer for dry, itchy skin, especially on the knees and elbows.

• Lip Service Lip Balm – Creamy blend of oils, candelilla wax, grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E, plain or essential oils of spearmint and peppermint.

Want to win this “You’re the Balm” bag?  Either visit Cactus & Ivy and come back here to comment on your favorite product, sign up for the Eco-Office Gals updates and comment to let me know you did… or both for 2 entries!  Let others know about today’s giveaway by posting on your blog or Twitter for additional entries.   For each entry leave a separate comment.  Winners will be announced this evening! Good luck!!

If you’re reading this in an e-mail feed, click here to leave a comment!

AND the winner is….

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2008-10-21 00:30:18 UTC

1. Rae Lynn Says:
   October 20th, 2008 at 1:02 pm I am now subscribed by email! Can’t wait to learn more about your business.

Yea Rae Lynn! Stay tuned tomorrow!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Giveaway: Cactus & Ivy “You’re The Balm!”