Nubian Heritage - Wellness Collection of Bath & Body Products

Two Harlem street vendors fresh out of college in 1991, came up with the idea to bring together ancient Nubian traditional healing practices, cultural wisdom and indigenous ingredients, to create modern wellness solutions for skin and hair. Several of their ingredients are sourced from woman's cooperatives around the world and they have a product for everything. If you have dry skin, try the Infused Butters, if you have sensitive skin try the Goat's Milk & Chai collection, and if you have problem skin try the African Black Soap that soothes with shea butter, oats, aloe, and cocoa pod ash.

I was able to check out a few of their products myself. My favorite of the group is the Olive Oil and Green Tea Body Lotion. It's great for dry skin and aging skin. This goes for $12.99 for 13 fl oz and it smells amazingly fresh. The lotion has a fluffy whipped appearance and it feels creamy and moisturizing. I keep reapplying just to smell it again.

The next item is the Mango Butter Body Wash. This goes for $10.99 for 13 fl oz and it's a refreshing scent and great way to start any day. Mango Butter is formulated with Vitamin C, to rejuvenate and firm the skin.

Lastly, I checked out the Cococut & Papaya Bath Bombs which 6 go for $14.99. Unfortunately when you have kids, you don't actually to get to use the bath bombs. These are fun and they smelled so much better afterwards. You can never go wrong with a great bath bomb. So, for an average of $2.49 a bomb, it's cheaper than a Lush bomb, and provides the same soft skin, and not as hard to watch wash down the drain after 4 minutes.

Shea butter is the base for most of Nubian's products. They work with 7 different woman's Shea Butter cooperatives in Ghana. They are working to empower these woman by paying ethical wage premiums, ensuring positive quality of life, plus providing access to education and the benefits of financial freedom.  Not only will you get great looking skin by using ancient Nubian products, but you will be helping to alleviate poverty and helping out your soul sisters on the other side of the world.

To find out more about Nubian Heritage, or to order directly, please go to: https://www.nubianheritage.com/
Nubian Heritage can be found at Vitamin Shoppe.
All natural and cruelty free. Made in the USA.

Thanks Nubian Heritage for sending these over!

Steel Cut Oats

Here's a tasty healthy breakfast option that you can customize to your cravings. Steel Cut oats are less processed than rolled oats. The same groats used to make rolled oats are instead chopped into two or three pieces rather than flattened. Steel Cut Oats make a great breakfast option because they are high in fiber, and it's a slowly digesting meal that will keep you full and energized until the next snack or meal. The nutritional value of rolled and steel cut oats is basically the same, but steel cut will keep you fuller longer. Steel Cut can take longer to cook, but the good news is that they have quick cook options.

The best part is you can change your toppings so it does not get old. Pineapple, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, kiwis, any kind of fruit your craving. Another option I love to use is the raw bar at Whole Foods. They have some great granola mixes to pick from like French Vanilla Almond or Coconut Granola and I always keep a few options on stock in the pantry to use as toppings. Mixed nuts and shaved coconut add some extra texture and crunch to it.

Sometimes I like to add some vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, craisins, and chopped Hazelnuts. Pick what you like and the healthy combo's are endless. Enjoy!

Ola - Hawaiian Body Products

Ola Tropical Apothecary offers organic bath and body spa products hand-crafted and centered on the Hawaiian concept of beauty and wellness. Ancient herbalism is a concept the culture still practices and Ola believes:

"The concept of oneness is intrinsic to Hawaiian culture and is realized when the Earth's energy is transferred to the plant, to the hands that harvest the plant, to the hands that transform the plants into healing products, to the hands that use the products.

Whether you need skincare, hair care, or bath and body products, they will have you covered. Masks, cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, oh and don't forget some volcanic foot scrub. To find out more about the company and to view their complete line, please go to: https://www.hawaiianbodyproducts.com/

 

Ola was kind enough to send me over two of their products to check out for myself. My favorite item is the Body Butter. These go for $32 for 6 oz and I tried the scent Pikake. Pikake is a sweet heavenly jasmine fragrance. It's often used to make lei's and it totally reminds me of what Hawaii smells like if you could capture the essence in a scent. It's rich and moisturizing and helps to repair, replenish dry, thirsty skin.

The Body Lotion goes for $29.50 for 8 oz and I tried the Passion Fruit scent. Not as thick as the body butter but still great to hydrate and quickly absorb leaving a great scent. Both products smell wonderful and leave the skin feeling great. Other scents they have include Coconut, Plumeria, Rainforest, & Tuberose.

Mahalo Ola!

Kocostar - Home Beauty Treatments

Scorching hot summer days can dry out your hair and skin, and here's a great option to do at home instead of heading out to the Spa. Check out these do at home moisture packs from Kocostar, whether you need a face mask, a slice mask, feet, hair, or nail care, they will have you covered.

My favorite of the group was the Long Hair Pack. It comes with a cap that is awkward though. I thought it was going to be like shower cap but it had a long slot to put your hair into and it was just strange, I gave up and opted to just put all the product directly onto my hair. The product smells amazing and feels conditioning & moisturizing while in hair. It was easy to rinse out after and the great smell continued for the rest of the day, along with highly conditioned hair. Love this stuff, but wish the conditioner came directly in a pack without it being in a cap already. Dislike cap, love conditioner.

The Foot and Hand Moisture packs are like doing a paraffin treatment at home but not as softening. The packs come with cute little booties and gloves that already have the lotion inside. Put them on, peel the tape off to secure and stick them on for 20 mins. Great for a quick touch up in between manicure/pedicures.

To find out more about Kocostar and to view all of the products they have available, please go to:
http://www.kocostar.com/

You can find in stores: Ulta, Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, Free People, American Eagle & World Market to name a few.

These are affordably priced between $5-10 depending on which product you go with.

Thanks Kocostar for sending these over!

Ulta Beauty - Lip Plumping

Set off those summer tans with these awesome Ulta Beauty Lip Plumping Transforming Top Coats. Take your lips to sexy status in seconds with 5 different shimmering shades to pick from. Lips instantly appear fuller and lip color takes a duo chromatic effect. You can apply it alone or over your desired lip color. These normally go for $10 each but Ulta is having a buy two, get one free special right now: https://www.ulta.com/lip-plumping-transforming-top-coat?productId=xlsImpprod16501159#

These have a small application brush for easy, precise application and they are not gloss is not sticky at all. The colors are all great and give off a little bit of a different sheen on each one, I can't pick a favorite. Must try!

Colors available to pick from are:
Divine (rosy pink with gold and pink pearl)
Euphoria (off white with golden pearl)
Celestial (bright blue-pink with pink pearl)
Ethereal (warm peachy-pink duochrome with gold pearl)
Utopia (cool lavender-blue duochrome with pink pearl)

Thanks Ulta Beauty for sending these over! 💗💄