moisturizer | Sunshine and Slaughter

Have you heard of Arbonne? It’s a line of Swiss-developed skin care, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements. They’ve been in the US since 1980 and they’ve been green before green was popular. All products are 100% plant-based (vegan certified) and never tested on animals.

I was contacted recently by an Arbonne rep and I jumped on the chance to try the products in the RE9 Advanced line, specifically formulated for anti-aging. I got to sample the cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, night cream, and two types of day creams. I love them! They smell wonderfully citrus-y and are so gentle on my skin.

I know it sounds weird, but in just a couple of days I swear my skin looked firmer. It didn’t feel tight though, which can be a problem with some skin firming products. The moisturizers gave me a nice glow and provide SPF 20–perfect for daily protection.

I also tried some samples of the Arbonne cosmetics and I really liked them. The tinted moisturizer had just enough coverage to not look makeup-y, and the translucent powder was really silky.

Needless to say, I placed an order. I want to keep using these products and reap the full benefits. I ordered a couple of masks, and a Vitamin D+B12 spray that tastes like candy! That’s going to be a great thing to use in the gray Pacific Northwest.

Arbonne has other lines too. The FC5 and Calm lines are great for sensitive skin and for those with rosacea. I gave some samples of their baby care line to a friend of mine with an infant. They carry a men’s line too, as well as body- and hair care.

Sapha, my Arbonne consultant, helped set me up as a preferred client so I can get 20% off my purchases, points toward future orders, freebies, and other goodies. She can help you too if you’re interested in trying Arbonne. She can ship all over the US, Canada, and other places and she’s more than willing to help you find out what your skin needs. You can reach her at (281)748-7943 or saphaariasyoga@yahoo.com or you can log onto Arbonne and sign up with the code 13728752.

One more thing I liked but haven’t tried is their line of makeup brushes. As a vegan, it’s hard to find high-quality synthetic brushes. Arbonne has them!

If you use Arbonne, I’d be interested in hearing what products you’ve tried.

A few weeks ago, while poking around the shelves at Sephora, I discovered Josie Maran Argan Oil. I’ve been on a quest to find vegan beauty products. I thought I was shopping cruelty-free but I was horrified to discover a few items in my stash are by companies that still test on animals. Shameful!

Hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded and killed every year for cruel and unnecessary tests. It’s not required by law and there are better alternatives. Check for the cruelty-free bunny logo, a vegan logo, or look at PETA’s database to make sure the companies you support don’t make animals suffer in the name of beauty.

The woman at Sephora (edit: was wrong when she) explained that the entire Josie Maran line is ~~vegan~~ and cruelty-free, meaning no animal ingredients and no animal testing. (Update 4/7/15: I found out from a reader that the line isn’t all-vegan. When I checked on the JM site–which I should always do instead of trusting sales people–I found out that not all of the products are vegan. They use beeswax, lanolin, and carmine in some of their products. Check the label for the V to be sure).

argan oil

Josie Maran sources argan oil from co-ops that help women in rural Morocco earn a decent living in good labor conditions, while working toward improved literacy. I love that and I’m willing to pay more for a product with those values.

Besides, the oil is great! It’s not greasy and it absorbs quickly. I use it on my face, the dry ends of my hair, my cuticles, and my elbows. I told my friend Karthik about it and she said she uses Josie Maran products too–specifically their tinted moisturizer. So we planned to stop by Sephora and see if I could get some too.

I was surprised to see that there are only five shades. I chose crème. Karthik wears desert. To find a product that we can both wear–with our different skin types and colors–was pretty impressive (Karthik was born in India and has wonderful, warm brown skin. My light skin is a reflection of my German and Scottish roots). We both love that it’s got SPF 30. No more greasy sunscreen on our faces! (And yes, skin cancer and wrinkles affect all skin types, so slather up!)

Karthik’s issue with sunscreens is that most leave a whitish residue on her face. The Josie Maran moisturizer doesn’t. My issue is that even the lightest tinted moisturizer looks orange on my skin and you can see where the product stops and my natural color begins.

This moisturizer is tinted just right. It blends in, it’s lightweight, and left us glowing, not greasy. I’ve even stopped wearing pressed powder. I really only ever used it to hide the shine of sunscreen. I can’t wait to try their cosmetics too. Argan oil mascara? Sign me up!

We also tried products by other cruelty-free companies (Tarte and Stila) and popped into Lush, so come on back for more of our reviews!

Note: This isn’t a sponsored post. I wasn’t compensated to review these products. I just really like them. Also, the content of this post was originally published on my other blog, Jean of all Trades.