Good news, everyone!
The wonderful people at Naturelle want to give a 15% discount to the readers of my blog! The code is KATJA15 and it is valid until the end of November. I’ve added a banner to the sidebar, lest you forget.
If you were inspired by my recent experiments with Suki, this is the perfect opportunity to test their products without breaking the bank. Naturelle carries an excellent variety of brands, and I cannot rate the shop highly enough. It’s probably obvious by now that French masters Patyka and Absolution are some of my personal favorites, and that many of my go-to products come out of their ranges. Neal’s Yard Remedies is one of my all-time favorites, especially when it comes to hair care. I’ve only tried two of Suki’s products, but I’m already in love. Then there is Juice Beauty, one of my new favorites, to whom you will be introduced just as soon as I receive a reply to some extra questions of mine, regarding their ingredients. Naturelle also stocks tried and true brands like Madara, Nafha for sensitive skin, Jurlique – known for their use of biodynamic ingredients (though they don’t entirely fill the requirements of natural cosmetics), and the honey based and harmonious Therapi.
I’ve put together a list of my favorites from Naturelle, but make sure to have a look at their selection and see what suits the needs of your skin specifically.
Cleansing & Toner
By now I think we all know what my favorite cleanser is. It would take a truly miraculous product to replace Patyka’s 3-step cleanser in my skin care routine. The trio is comprised of a cleansing oil, cleansing foam, and toner. I’ve actually substituted the toner with the Hamamelis toner from Patyka’s Absolis range, because it’s a better match for my oily skin. I’m currently also testing Juice Beauty’s grape-based hydrating mist toner. Judging by the more than promising list of ingredients, and their lovely spray bottles, I have feeling my next favorites will come from Suki. Therapi also does toners, in beautiful bottles, no less.
Exfoliation and Face Masks
As I said in my post last week, Suki’s fruit acid facial peel is currently at the top of my list of exfoliates. I’m also testing Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Peel fruit acid exfoliate, and will tell you more about it later. What I can say now, however, is that it is a very potent product, best left for professional use. If you do end up buying the product, make sure you don’t overuse it, and that you’ve got strengthening and repairing serums, oils, and creams at your disposal.
The queen of face masks has to be Absolution’s purifying mask. I must have written a novel about it by now, so I will settle for saying that it is the best thing in the world. (And now I’ve just noticed that I’ve run out. The perils of no longer running a cosmetics shop!)
Serums & Oils
The cleansing Controle serum by Absolution is really good and for a long time it was also one of my go-to products. Suki’s purifying serum has replaced it as my favorite, however – something I could have predicted would happen when I first looked at its INCI. I do have to recommend a very similar product by Juice Beauty, which I just linked in yesterday’s Beauty Guide. This cleansing serum by Juice Beauty is packed with potent ingredients, and at 33 euros for 60ml (2oz), its price-quality ratio is staggeringly good. It’s like putting money in the bank. I use the serum morning and evening, followed by an oil in the evenings. Huile Addiction by Absolution is just that – addictive. Another brilliant product is the repairing night serum by Patyka – I can’t get enough of its fresh citrus scent.
Eye cream & Moisturizer
A good under-eye product will have a light and refreshing texture, and should not leave your skin feeling tight or dry. Absolution’s eye cream is perfectly refreshing and reduces fluid retention under the eyes. As far as moisturizers go, I’ve never really found one that was clearly better than all others. One that I do love is Absolution’s La Créme de l’Homme – a men’s product, that is – which I feel works just as well as a unisex product for oily skin. And we mustn’t forget one of the best natural cosmetics makeup bases, also by Absolution.
Shampoo & Conditioner
I’ve been a faithful user of Neal’s Yard Remedies’ hair care range for a year now. My first favorites were the rose shampoo and conditioner, which are excellent for dry, frizzy, and damaged hair. A few months ago I noticed that my hair was looking a bit flat. I thought it needed something a bit more cleansing, so I changed the shampoo to Orange Flower from the same range but kept the rose conditioner. Since then, it’s been my favorite combination – until last week, when the importer for the brand’s products gave the Invigorating Seaweed shampoo and conditioner such high praise that I had to try them. They’re unsuited for dry hair, in my opinion, but perfect for my thick mane.
The formula of Juicy Beauty’s repairing shampoo and conditioner is brilliant, but too conditioning for me personally. I think the clarifying combination might be more up my street.
Body Lotions & Body Oils
My love story with Absolution’s body lotion is legend by now. The only downside to the world’s best lotion is that it runs out far too quickly. When I my mother came up with the idea of adding a few drops of Patyka’s Precious Wood’s body oil to it, I experienced a sort of cosmetological awakening. The combination also makes the product last twice as long. Naturelle does not seem to stock the body lotion for some reason, an oversight which I hope will be mended at some point. Since I’m convinced of the benefits of fruit acids in facial skin care, I thought I would conduct a few empirical experiments as to their suitability for the rest of the body, especially around the bikini line. This body lotion by Juice Beauty contains grape and apple juice, which themselves contain mild concentrations of fruit acids, putting the lotion at the top of my list of products to test out. I also recommend Patyka’s refreshing peppermint shower gel, which is once more in stock!
Naturelle’s beauty isn’t just in its stock of high-quality products, but the people behind it. Meeting them, and being blown away by their kindness, is what sealed the deal for me. I am incredibly grateful to be able to choose who I work with. It’s one of the things that makes work feel less like work, providing instead the necessary motive and desire to make things happen – something that I intend to nurture in my future work, as well.
Happy shopping!
Photos Katja Kokko
Translation Katja Nikula
