Hi Stranger!  Sorry for the radio silence – the last two weeks have kind of done a number on me.  I’ll preface this with the fact that I know that I am very fortunate, and that mostly I’m managing blessings and first world problems.  But, damn, hurricane season is the worst, even if your home doesn’t sustain serious damage (ours didn’t, this time).  Between Labor Day weekend, preparing for and evacuating from Hurricane Irma, and coming home and unpacking and cleaning up everything afterward, I had a lot of catch up to do.  We are also building a new house, and  and you could guess, I’m busy researching eco-friendly-hme-everything, and I’ve got a couple of other behind-the-scenes projects going on as well.  Oh, and I have a family.  NBD.  I am a woman.  It’s just what we do, right?

I am a little late to the game writing about this month’s Beauty Heroes Box, but it is a really good one, so hop on it and order by EOD September 20th if you want in!  This month’s selection is near and dear to my heart for a few reasons.  First, anything made by Skin Owl’s Annie Tevelin is a a treasure.  Annie is a sweetheart, and a fellow cystic acne “survivor”.  A former professional makeup artist who discovered the acne-fighting benefits of the mangosteen fruit on a trip to Viet Nam, Annie then took courses in cosmetic chemistry and eventually launched Skin Owl’s first and best-selling product, Beauty Drops PM in 2013.  Last year, Annie discovered that the mangosteen fruit could no longer be sourced sustainably, and she had a serious ethical dilemma on her hands.  She scoured the globe for an ingredient that would meet her high standards and deliver the same results and ended up coming across the Chilean purple maqui berry.  Maqui has long be revered by the Mapuche people for its high concentration of delphinidins, a type of polyphenol that delivers potent anti-inflammatory benefits, (most skin conditions stem from inflammation), and it has 10x the antioxidant power of mangosteen.  Using Skin Owl’s trademark blending technique, maquis berry is mixed with cold-pressed babob oil (another do-it-all superfood), tangerine and vanilla essential oils.  It smells like natural fruit loops.  🙂  While I’ve only been using this oil for a few weeks at night, I can say my skin wakes up happy and very calm-looking.  My skin drinks it up – it is absorbed almost on contact, which is always nice if you have oily, acne-prone skin.

This month’s sidekick is a Skin Owl’s Maqui Berry Beauty Whip.  This products is a multi-use skin booster that can be used as a makeup primer, moisturizer, or treatment mask.  My personal favorite way to experience this product is to refrigerate it and apply it over the Beauty Drops PM, leaving it on overnight (it’s not goop-y, so your partner nor your pillow will “notice” that you’re wearing a mask).  I wake up with soft skin that appears much less inflamed than usual.  I am NOT a moisture mask lover, and I do love this one.  Annie also loves to apply a thin layer of Beauty Whip under makeup, as it smooths out, moisturizes and primes skin without leaving a greasy residue.  Did I mention that this formula blends olive fruit oil and aloe vera with vegan MSM (which is use to build connective tissue) and DMAE (which has anti-aging properties)?  It’s a gem of a product, especially if aging skin is a concern for you.

I know I always say this, but this Beauty Heroes box is such a good deal, especially if you are acne-prone and still searching for your holy grail product.  (Unfortunately, acne is a complex skin issue, and a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work.  It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find what works for you.)  This month’s box would normally retail for $149, but Beauty Heroes members will get to experience these products for less than $40!  What?!  I told you – a great deal.  You can sign up here.  And, Beauty Heroes members get 15% off everything, everyday at the Beauty Heroes Beauty Shop.

I’m hope you are having a great week!

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