As someone who loves to try out new brands, especially when it comes to skincare, I’ve decided to start a Brand Spotlight series to share brands on my radar. To give a little background, I’ve always had pretty good skin. As I neared my mid-twenties, I started noticing some changes. My once manageable, healthy hair became damaged and dry. My once smooth complexion disappeared and my skin started reacting to seasonal changes. I voiced my concerns to my mom, a skincare queen, and she started me on my skincare journey with this cleansing gel , toner, and cream from the luxurious La Mer.
HERBIVORE BOTANICALS REVIEW
About a year ago, I started to look into skincare when my La Mer products started running low. I wasn’t able to restock on such expensive products on a teacher’s salary. There were so many well known and established brands out there and it was, and still is, overwhelming. One brand that fell on my radar was Herbivore Botanicals. Herbivore Botanicals is a natural, cruelty free beauty line run by a husband and wife team in Seattle. Their products are safe, non-toxic, and organic. As I started researching the brand, I realized how innovative and unique their products are. Herbivore’s ingredients are well thought out and you can tell that a lot of care and effort went into concocting their products. What started as an admiration of aesthetics turned into an appreciation. Today, I’m sharing products I love in my Herbivore Botanicals review.
BAMBOO CHARCOAL BAR SOAP
I’m starting my Herbivore Botanical review with the first product I ever purchased from Herbivore Botanicals, the Bamboo Charcoal Bar Soap. I bought this as a body soap for my boyfriend, but we both ended up loving it as a facial soap. It’s simple, yet effective with its activated bamboo charcoal, tea tree oil, and bergamot oil ingredients. This soap does a great job cleansing and clearing up the skin without drying it out. My boyfriend has very oily skin and this has helped him balance out his skin. If you’re looking for a great, inexpensive cleanser, I’d 100% recommend this one.
Price: $12
PINK CLAY BAR SOAP
I had high hopes for this Pink Clay Soap since I loved the bamboo charcoal soap. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with this bar soap. It does have a pleasant natural floral scent and makes your face soft, but I wouldn’t repurchase this for my face. From other reviews, it seems like this soap is more suitable for people with super sensitive skin. I use it now as a body soap so it doesn’t go to waste.
Price: $12
ORCHID FACIAL OIL
The Orchid Facial Oil is the first facial oil I ever tried. I got this product while transitioning into winter 2016 since my skin was the driest it’s ever been. The unique ingredients of Orchid extract, Jasmine Sambac, and Japanese Camellia Flower Oil sounded too dreamy to pass up. I was wary about oils before this, but this oil has completely changed my mind. It hydrates my skin without making it oily and gives me a dewy, glowy complexion. This product applies easily, absorbs nicely, and smells lovely. This is a great facial oil that I 1,000% recommend. *Since this post was first created, I’ve purchased a second bottle of this oil. The second bottle still has a nice scent, but I’m nostalgic for the floral scent from my first bottle.
Price: $64
ROSE HIBISCUS HYDRATING FACE MIST
I bought this Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist (4 oz.) to compare it to the Mario Badescu Facial Spray. This spray can be used to set makeup and refresh your skin throughout the day, but I usually use it when I wake up in the morning to rejuvenate and quench my skin. I’m not the biggest fan of the bottling since the pump sprays out a lot. The glass bottle is nice, but isn’t ideal for travel. This spray supposedly helps with blemishes and redness, but so far I have not seen that in my own skin. However, like all other Herbivore products reviewed so far, it’s gentle, light, and smells great.
Price: $32
BLUE TANSY RESURFACING MASK
I did not get a good first impression from this Blue Tansy Resurfacing Mask. This mask smells bad, kind of like medicine. I used it a few times before ditching it in the back of my skincare drawer. Last month, my skin started to feel uneven, so I dug through my drawers and decided to give this mask another try. This time, I actually read the directions, which said to use this mask 3-4 times a week before tapering off in the weeks to follow. Oops! This time around, after my second consecutive application, I noticed a positive change in my skin. My skin was much smoother and I had a more even complexion. Now whenever my skin is feeling patchy or rough, this will be the mask I reach for. I noticed that the color of this mask changed from a vibrant blue to a mossy green. I reached out to the Herbivore team, who said that the color change was normal because of the natural ingredients.
Price: $48
POST SHAVE ELIXIR
I really fell in love with this brand during the past few months, so I wanted to get some more products for my boyfriend to use. He uses this Post Shave Elixir after shaving and says it’s hydrating and soothing. No razor burn!
Price: $22
PINK CLOUD ROSEWATER MOISTURE CREME
This Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Creme is heavenly! It’s the perfect PM moisturizer from the smell, color, texture, right down to super chic bottle. I love this as a PM moisturizer since it’s on the heavier side. Rose water, aloe water, kukui oil, and white tea extract work together to hydrate and plump the skin. I wake up with baby soft skin after a night of letting my face soak in this delightful creme.
Price: $48
It’s safe to say that I’m a big fan of this beauty brand and will continue to purchase from them in the future. Personally, I think the benefits from the products are worthy of the price points. A key note to take away is that each product varies in color and smell because of the natural ingredients. Please let me know if you have any questions, and remember that everybody’s skin is different and may react differently to certain products. Hope you enjoyed my Herbivore Botanicals review!
