Weekend Ramblings: R.L. Linden & Co. The Bee Charmer

I don't think I say this enough on the blog, but I love honey. I love it in my tea, on my oatmeal and of course, on my face (hopefully I'm not the only one here). So you know that as soon as one of my favorite brands, R.L. Linden & Co., put up an Instagram picture of their latest honey cleanser/ exfoliant/ mask, a.k.a. The Bee Charmer*, I could not wait to get my hands on a sample. Thankfully, I did and I'm happy to report that Robin and Lynn have done it again!

Hello, adorable product description card.

Product description courtesy of R.L. Linden & Co.

At first when I read its ingredient list above, I was thinking The Bee Charmer* would be a little more abrasive than it actually is. The ingredients are as follows: raw honey, ritual chocolate (organic cacao and organic cane sugar), white clay, organic cacao extract, organic cacao nib and shell, poppy sees, essential oils of bourbon vanilla and Bulgarian rose and the flower essences of arnica, buttercup, corn lily and nasturtium. I think it was the "cacao nib and shell" that had me wondering whether or not this product would be okay for daily use, but I'm telling you that it totally is. The cacao nibs are there and they do exfoliate, but ever-so-gently so you're not going to over do it. 

The Bee Charmer in action.

As for the base of the product, the rich honey/chocolate/essential oil mixture smells good enough to eat,  like a big hunk of fancy chocolate in the best way. It's really kind of luxurious. However, the best part about this product isn't the smell or the exfoliant factor. It's the fact that this morning when I woke up (after using the mask last night), my skin felt incredibly soft. And now, I may be addicted. 

   
All that's left to do at this point is just anxiously wait until a full size of The Bee Charmer* is available for purchase. If you're feeling particularly impatient, though, The Bee Charmer* is available for purchase with R.L. Linden & Co.'s Travel Set. It includes a waxed canvas cosmetic bag and bunch of other goodies from R.L. Linden & Co.  It would actually make a great gift for someone!

So, what do you think about this new product? Are you a fan of all things honey-based as well?

The * denotes a product which I was sent free of cost.  Reviews will remain objective, regardless of how the product came to me.

Etsy Finds: Charcoal Detox Mask + Spot Fix by The October Union

You all may remember the interview I did with The October Union's Kimie Rosenthal just a couple weeks ago.  In that interview, I mentioned ordering some of her products and I'm here to give you the 4-1-1 on Kimie's Charcoal Detox Mask + Spot Fix.

Charcoal, for most people, conjures images of summer barbecues rather than skincare, but I assure you that the stuff used to grill your burgers is not the same as what The October Union is using in their face masks. So stop thinking Kingsford and start thinking elegant cosmetic charcoal.

Charcoal is actually a highly prized skincare ingredient, admired for its purifying properties. Currently, Kimie uses willow bark charcoal in the Charcoal Detox Mask + Spot Fix, but she will soon be switching to coconut shell or bamboo charcoal, depending upon which is more sustainably harvested.  Could this brand get any better?

But back to the mask... We all know my skin is super picky, so I asked Kimie to remove the cayenne pepper and cinnamon and a few other ingredients.  While I actually do like cinnamon in some occasional facial applications (see this previous post), I figured it might prove to be more than my skin could handle in combination with the charcoal.  Perhaps I'll brave it for my next jar, though, and leave every ingredient in, especially since I've had such great results with this mask.

Pretty products on a dirty window sill... Sorry about that!

What I love about this mask, specifically, is its use of charcoal and himalayan pink salt to deeply cleanse.  I swear my face takes a breath of fresh air after I've removed it. Not to mention, a little goes a long way.  You can mix a teensy bit of this mask, which comes in powder form, with the liquid of your choice (I like chamomile tea, manuka honey or Wildroot Botanicals Rose Geranium Hydrosol) and it will cover your whole face.

At $10 per 2 ounce jar, the Charcoal Detox Mask + Spot Fix is a great product at an equally great value.  I highly recommend that you purchase it, and you can do so here or here.

Kimie also sent over two samples, one of her Love + Kindness Balm and the other of her Pomegranate + Cocoa Tinted Lip Salve.  Both of these products were amazing as well, but I'm especially in love with the Tinted Lip Salve.  It's got the perfect hint of color and moisturizes so well, which is definitely something I need on these cold fall days we've been having as of late.  You can buy these two products here or here.

Tell me everyone: have you tried The October Union's products?  What do you think?