Hi! Welcome to the grand debut of "Favorite Things" – a little peek into the world of Celebelle must-haves and can't-live-withouts.
You know, the older I get, the clearer my cravings become. I've fine-tuned my senses, and I'm not about to settle for anything less because who's got time for mediocrity? So, I might spend a smidge more time than the average Joe (or Janin) researching and diving into reviews, all in pursuit of my perfect match. Most of the goodies I'm dishing up have been faithful companions in my daily routine for two years or more. Whether it's a scent that transports me to a field of wildflowers or a serum that's practically a potion of youth, my journey often leads me to cherish the gems crafted by dedicated artisans and passionate boutiques. Here's to making life a smidge sweeter, one fabulous find at a time.
Heretic Parfum - Lovely scents that are not overpowering. My favorites are The Herbalist and Poltergeist (FYI, Poltergeist is a limited edition fragrance that they only release occasionally). When I wear The Herbalist out in public, people stop me to ask what perfume I am wearing. Buying perfume online can be scary, but they have sample packs that allow you to try out several scents before committing to a full bottle. What I like is that they offer many of their scents in roller-ball. This option is GREAT for me because I have non-allergic rhinitis (this is a fancy way of saying I am not really allergic to anything, but my nose behaves like it is allergic to stuff, making allergists sound like politicians.) So most spray perfumes are a no-go for me. Because Heretic's scents are all-natural, you need to reapply more often. I personally prefer that to a scent that starts out eye-wateringly strong so that it has "staying power."
Tigers Eye Therapy Oil - This is my favorite Patchouli scent from my favorite store in all of Nashville. It is such a magical, grounding scent. It works wonders on my nervous system. Before I was gifted this from a special friend, I would have said Patchouli was NOT FOR ME. If you live in Nashville and you have never been to AromaG's Botanica, you are missing out. These guys are excellent at what they do. Their soaps, candles, oils, teas, bath bombs, body butter, crystals, I could keep going - everything is top-notch. Even more importantly, they hire great people who are so helpful. Seriously - go now.
Noto Deep Serum - I got this serum in an Ipsy box. It's pretty magical and lasts forever because it goes so far. It smells citrusy. It's less spendy than you would think by looking at the bottle. I have had it for almost a year now, and I'm only halfway through, but I also rotate my serums.
Humble Deodorant - These deodorants are all-natural, AND they work. These scents can't be found anywhere else. I've tried. My favorites are the Palo Santo and the Patchouli, but all their scents smell so good. They ARE a bit spendy. The good news is you don't need much of it to work, and it's very moisturizing.
Green Goo - Listen, everything they make works. Their products are all-natural and smell good, too (are you sensing a theme?) My husband has absolutely fallen in love with this stuff, so we must keep it stocked. Husband is not a skincare guy (no matter how important I tell him it is :)), but once we found the Skin Repair Salve, he started putting it on his face before bed - what?! Male Skin Care Routine Activated!!! I guess he just needed a product he believed in. The formulas we keep on hand are: Poison Ivy Treatment Cream, First Aid Salve, and the aforementioned Skin Repair Salve.
First Botany Cosmeceuticals: Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Clary Sage Body Wash - Wonderful bracing smell that works for this household's males and females. It does wonders for all sorts of skin conditions and is sulfate and paraben-free. I am not going to put my family on blast by revealing all our skin conditions - just know we have them, and this stuff helps.
Honey Skin: Manuka Honey Infused Tea Tree Shampoo (and Conditioner) - Sulfate-free shampoos and Tea Tree are a huge part of the "beauty routine" at Casa Snotwell. The Manuka Honey is important. I have had to buy the Tea Tree only version before. It's still good, but not quite as magical as the Manuka Honey version. This is an excellent shampoo for daily dandruff control. It also leaves my hair with a fantastic amount of body. The conditioner is light enough to comb it through from top to bottom.
First Aid Beauty: Hello FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer - This light moisturizer helps your makeup go on smoothly and not settle in the fine lines so much. TBH, I don't wear foundation regularly. If you do, you might prefer their FAB's Pores Be Gone Matte Primer, which is also lovely but overkill for my "wear makeup 2x's per week max" routine.
Packer's Pine Tar Body Wash - This is a decidedly "masculine" scent. I don't use it daily partly for that reason but also because it makes it last longer. Why do I like it? VERY MOISTURIZING. This is a guess on my part, BUT if you are buying Christmas gifts for dear old dad, grandpa, or papaw - get them some of this. I've got a feeling they will like it, AND it will be great for their dry skin. Win-win.
Garnier Skin Active Micellar Cleansing Water - I am a little bit of a curmudgeon about some things. When I first heard about Micellar Water from my 13-year-old daughter, I was like, "Oh, now I have to pay for special water to wash my face with?!" Frankly, it sounded made up. But I am here to tell you this stuff is pretty magical. Remember all those mornings in Jr. High when you were desperately trying to learn how to apply eyeliner and get the perfect wing? It devolved into a shaking, crying fit because You had one side PERFECT and the other side was wonky-to-the-max, but to fix it, you have RUIN the entire left eye - in walks Micellar water. Dab a little of this on a Q-tip, and you can remove makeup mess-ups in a precise manner. Also, I ain't no spring chick. I am, at best, an autumn chick. I can't be scrubbing at my eye makeup and making more wrankles (yeah, I said wrankles.)
I hope this list of my health and beauty favorites holds some gems for you. I would love to hear about some of your own favorites. Whether it's a love-at-first-sight encounter or even an epic fail, drop a comment below, and let's keep this conversation going. After all, life's a bit more exciting when we're swapping stories and making discoveries. Thanks for the read, and stay tuned for more installments of Favorite Things...coming soon.
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