Etsy Pick Of The Week: Rainwater Botanicals

*UPDATE*
I originally posted this on Sunday May 20th. Unfortunately, for reasons not clear to me, Blogger decided to delete it. Lucky for me, it was early on after publishing, and there were no entries in Rafflecopter. Enjoy!

Happy Sunday Readers! 

This week I would like for you to meet Rainwater Botanicals! 

Image: etsy.com

Imagine this....

The scene is beautiful Pacific Beach, Washington, 1999. A group of friends are camping, and everyone is having an awesome time. There is only one problem. Every single person in the group suffered cuts and scrapes during the day's hike. They hurt. But, sigh. They have nothing to apply to their minor wounds because back then they could not find a healing, all natural salve to soothe their boo boos.

The group took this problem and created their own. Rainwater Botanicals Healing Salve  was born in 2000 and quickly gained a cult following among friends and family. Due to word of mouth, the Healing Salve's popularity grew. Inspired by the salve's new fame, the group began sending out samples of the natural healer, and the brand continued to receive positive feedback.

In 2004, the new company started to formulate several other skin care collections, and opened up their Etsy store in 2008. The company vows to only sell products that they believe in. And to take this promise even further, each and every product is tested by the folks behind the brand before selling to the public. They only buy raw materials from reputable sources, all products are free of parabens, phtalates, and sulfates. Also, all of their shipping materials are recycled and/or reused. TOTALLY GREEN COMPANY GUYS! 


I would also like to point out that the products are all reasonably priced. I find this to be truly amazing, since the formulations, ingredients, and packaging are of such high quality!

The Interview-

1. What inspired you to start making your own beauty products?

At the time when I started making natural goodies there just wasn't much available, even in the health food stores. I knew what I wanted and what I didn't but there was no place to buy it so....I made it.

2. Tell me about your biggest success since opening Rainwater Botanicals.

Probably coming up with a deodorant that is natural and works for most people. I knew there was a demand as many of the so called "natural" deodorants either don't work well or aren't exactly natural. Hopefully soon we are coming out with a sensitive skin deodorant to add to the lineup as well as a liquid for those who prefer.

3. What is the one product from Rainwater Botanicals that you cannot live without?

The Troubled Skin Serum...for sure! Without it things get real bad for my skin. Ha ha ha. I never want to be without. The soap is pretty important too!

The Products-

Troubled Skin Facial Cream

Facial Cream for Troubled Skin


$10.00 for a 1oz jar

This healing cream provides nourishing moisture without greasiness. Nature’s soothers treat redness and calm irritation. Packaged in a glass bottle with a pump dispenser. 

*Superstar Ingredients*

Tamanu Oil- Ultra-moisturizing, antimicrobial qualities, and is capable of healing acne. 
Frankincense- Antibacterial, helps treat existing acne breakouts and scars. Also fights against aging. 
Black Willow- Natural source of aspirin-like chemicals that reduce redness and cystic acne. 
Lactic Acid- An Alpha-Hydroxy acid used widely used in rejuvenation products. A gentle, yet effective anti-aging treatment. 
MSM- Softens skin and gives your skin cells the permeability to absorb beneficial nutrients while flushing out toxic waste.

Troubled Skin Facial Cream

This face cream has a very unique texture. It is light and fluffy. Almost mousse-like. I do think that this is really important since troubled skin tends to be on the oily side. The cream absorbs quickly, and leaves no trace of anything behind. You are only left with hydrated skin. The fragrance is very light and disappears after sinking into skin.

Antioxidant Facial Serum 

Antioxidant Facial Serum Woodland Berry

$9.00 for a 1oz jar
Using natural ingredients rich in antioxidants, this serum effectively combats the signs of aging. The serums natural essential oils, extracts, and plant oils make skin glow with health.

*Superstar Ingredients*
All of these beneficial, hydrating oils:
Plum Kernel, Apricot Kernel, Blackberry Seed, Pumpkin Seed, Carrot Seed, Organic Rose Hip, Pomegranate, Jojoba, Olive Squalane, and Vitamin E.
This serum has quickly become one of my favorite skin care products. First of all it smells amazing. Like fresh blueberries. Second, it truly does make you glow! I know the thought of putting all of these oils on your face terrifies you, but trust me. Your skin will look amazing! The serum is contained in a glass bottle with a dropper dispenser. I have been using it day and night. I place three to four drops in my hand, rub my palms together, and apply all over my face and neck. LOVE IT!

Eye Serum with Carrot Seed Oil and  Olive Squalane

Eye Serum with Carrot Seed Oil and Olive Squalane

$9.00 for a .5oz jar 

Diminishes fine lines and hydrates the delicate eye area. Never oily or shiny and can be used under makeup.

*Superstar Ingredients* 
Olive Squalane- This is one of the major components in human sebum so it has a natural affinity to skin. Prevents moisture loss and restores suppleness.
Castor Oil- Rich in fatty acids and acts as a humectant because it draws moisture to itself.
Carrot Seed Oil- A long time darling of natural skin care products. Nourishes, tightens, revitalizes, and rejuvenates skin. Also reduces skin problems resulting from sun exposure due to its high level of natural UV protection.  

Again, this will not make your face oily. I absolutely loved this eye serum. My eye area is always so dry and I frequently reapply eye cream during the day. Ever since I have started using this eye serum, my eye area has been bothering me much less.  I feel hydrated and look all bright eyed. 

Walnut and Elm Facial Scrub

Walnut and Elm Facial Scrub

$10.00 for a 3 oz jar

Finely ground walnut shells, healing organic oils, and herbs exfoliate dead skin cells. 

*Superstar Ingredients* 
Glycerin and Castor Oil- Hydrate and plump skin.
Slippery Elm and Organic Rose hips- Provide gentle exfoliation.
Baking Soda- Polishes and balances skin.

Oh my, how I love a good face scrub. This scrub will most likely last me forever. It is very dense and feels like sand. You only need the smallest pea-sized amount. Wet your face, mix your pea with a touch of water and scrub. Gently though, as this is very abrasive. I like it rough though. Rinses easily.

Healing Earth Soap
Image: etsy.com
Stock Photo, sorry.

Healing Earth Facial Soap with Double Distilled Witch Hazel

$5.50 for a 3 oz bar

Treats combination skin and helps minimize the look of pores. Effectively removes makeup.
*Superstar Ingredients* 
Double Distilled Witch Hazel- Widely used in skin care products as a mild facial astringent. Treats blemishes, cleanses oil from skin, and it is beneficial for all skin types.
Kaolin Clay- Gently exfoliates and cleanses skin. Mild drying and disinfectant properties help to heal existing pimples while preventing new ones from forming.
Organic Helichrysum Extract- Rejuvenates and heals skin while antioxidant qualities reduce free-radical damage thus preventing premature aging.


I honestly thought that this would be a miss for me. Generally I am not a fan of using bar soaps on my face because they are usually very drying. When my oily skin dries out it goes into oily sebum producing overtime creating an eve oilier mess than what I had before. Speckled with pimples. Not pretty. This soap did not dry my face out though. After cleansing with it my face did not feel tight at all. Not the miss I predicted after all. It's a hit baby.


I took this picture exactly two weeks after starting my new Rainwater Botanicals skincare routine. This picture was taken immediately following use of the soap, scrub, eye serum, face serum, and troubled face cream. I really wanted to show you guys how healthy and gorgeous my skin looks. That sounds all vain and awful, but seriously! Just look at it! 

GLOWING!

I also wanted to prove by showing my face immediately after applying two oil based products to my face, day and night, for fourteen days, that my skin did not freak out. The beneficial oils used in these products did not leave me face decorated with pimples. Also, my skin is not shiny AT ALL. I dare you to find a trace of oil or shine! It's impossible!

Do you know what is possible though? Finding the worst hair ever because it's on my head in this picture. Terrible hair though. Just terrible. One of these days I will get it together and all parts of me will look good in a picture. Really great skin, really awful hair.

Monoi de Tahiti Hand and Body Cream

Monoi de Tahiti Hand and Body Cream

$12.50 for a 4.5 oz jar

Luxe hand and body cream drenches skin in moisture. The scent is a soft whisper of ultra-feminine Gardenia. The fragrance is all natural and produced using the Tahitian method of infusing coconut oil with Tiare Gardenia. The flower is placed in coconut oil and left to sit. The longer it sits, the more fragrance is infused into the oil. Divine.
*Superstar Ingredients* 
Organic Hibiscus Extract- Antioxidant and skin toning properties.
Organic Rosewater and Organic Aloe- Provide additional moisture.
Organic Olive Oil- 100% cold pressed ad extra virgin from high quality Tunisian olives.

This cream has also become a favorite. It sits on my nightstand and I coat my entire body with it before going to sleep. The fragrance is TO DIE FOR. I find it calming while falling asleep. When I wake up, my skin is soft, moisturized, and has a gorgeous, toned appearance. In fact, the cream is so intensely hydrating that it even my always dry feet are now smooth. 

Sweet Almond Body Lotion

Sweet Almond Body Lotion

$10.00 for a 6 oz tube

A non-greasy, light lotion scented with delicious Bitter Almond, Vanilla, and Bergamot essential oils.
*Superstar Ingredients* 
Organic Aloe, Coconut Oil, Almond Oil and Organic Geranium- Efficiently hydrate and soften skin.

Are you eating something???

This is a very light-weight lotion that absorbs very fast, and leaves skin super silky and smooth. It smells so good! Like yummy cookies! As you can see from the picture, my dog Buster sprinted into the bathroom right after I applied this to my leg. Coincidence? I don't think so. The Almond Body Lotion smells so realistic and sweet, that he thought I was hiding in the bathroom eating scrumptious cookies without him.  

Madagascar Big Bath Soap

Madagascar Big Bath Soap

$6.75 for a 6 oz bar

Madagascar is scented with warm Vanilla and spicy Ylang-Ylang. Does not contain artificial soap dyes or irritating fragrance.
*Superstar Ingredients* 
Kaolin Clay- Helps the soap produce a cushiony lather.

Just like the bar facial soap I talked about earlier, the Madagascar soap blew my mind. What a giant bar of soap! A whopping 6 oz people! HUGE! It was super moisturizing and I was able to use the lather to shave my legs without drying or irritation. Oh, and the smell....sweet and clean.

Dead Sea Salt Spray with Virgin Coconut

Dead Sea Salt Spray with Virgin Coconut

$9.00 for a 4 oz bottle

Dead Sea Salt is a fantastic natural way to make your hair look all "just spent all day at the beach sexy." 
*Superstar Ingredients* 
Dead Sea Salt- Nutrient rich ingredient that keeps hair silky and adds fullness.
Organic Virgin Coconut- Nourishes and hydrates hair. Enhances the beachy feel with its unmistakable summery scent.
Organic Aloe- Adds an extra layer of much needed moisture to the hair.

OMG. I DIED. 


First of all I feel like I have mentioned before that one of my daily beauty goals is to smell like I am surrounded  by a fluffy vanilla and coconut scented cloud. Rainwater Botanicals Dead Sea Salt Spray is impeccable, and helps me get one step closer to my goal. Hair care perfection beach bunnies! Obviously, I have been using this non-stop. When used on wet hair it helps my mane to dry shiny, full, and helps my natural wave look gorgeous. On dry hair this miracle spray refreshes and adds fullness to my limp mid-day hair. I also use it wet before blow drying. The Sea Salt adds lush texture and the Coconut smooths. This product is absolutely a must have. In addition to the Coconut formula, there are two other versions of this spray. One contains only Dead Sea Salt and the second is a Monoi de Tahiti version, which if the cream is any indication, probably smells out of this world. All soft and feminine. It's on my list!


Phew! That was a lot of reviewing, but SO WORTH IT!

I really and truly LOVED everything that was sent to me. The standouts in my opinion were the Woodland Blueberry Serum, the Carrot Seed Oil Eye Serum, and the Dead Sea Coconut Spray. Now that I know that these game changing products exist, I can never life my life without them. And the fact that they are all natural and made using top notch ingredients makes me smile. I can be obsessive and indulge in these products as much as I want to without worrying if I will experience a reaction or if yucky chemical ingredients will cause long term damage.

Want to find out even more about the delightful brand? Visit Rainwater Botanicals on their website or browse their Etsy Shop. To stay in the loop with all of their latest news and specials, like their Facebook page.

Huh? What's that?

You want to try Rainwater Botanicals for yourself??

Well my sweet readers you can! Along with some other stuff!

Check it out!

I am giving away an awesome set of stuff! If you are the lucky winner your prize will include:

Set of deluxe samples from Rainwater Botanicals including Madagascar Perfume Oil, Natural Deodorant in Lavender Vanilla and Patchouli Citrus, Brightening Facial Cream with Zinc Sunscreen, and an adorable tiny jar of the Intensive Eye Cream.

A full size tube of the Sweet Almond Body Lotion.

A full size tube of Beecology's Buzz Balm Peppermint Lip Balm. You can read my review of it here.

And a brown pouch containing a mystery item! Ooooo! What could it be?? Only the winner will know!

So what do you have to do to win this amazing prize? Just complete the entries on the Rafflecopter below and keep your fingers crossed!



a Rafflecopter giveaway






*The products featured in this post were sent to me directly from Rainwater Botanicals in exchange for my review/consideration/promotion. Please know that the opinions and thoughts expressed by me in each and every one of my posts are of my making, and always will be. I promise to my sweet readers to guide them through the wonderful world of beauty with truthful content that helps, rather than hinder their decision making processes.* 

Etsy Pick of the Week, Baltimore Edition, Volume 3

For this third volume of the Baltimore edition I am going to introduce you to Mineral Love.



Image: etsy.com

After years of thinking about curating her own cosmetics line, Trica found inspiration in an unlikey place. In 2009, she turned a devastating experience into a positive outlet for the grief she felt by paying attention to her desire to create beauty. Driven by her "love of makeup and passion for creating", she made Mineral Love a reality. Tricia makes vegan, mineral makeup in amazing colors. Gorgerous, glittery eyeshadows, perfect face powders, and luscious lip gloss are just a few of the offerings from Mineral Love.



"The Foxy Collection"
Image: etsy.com

Tricia sent me an eye shadow set called "The Foxy Collection" to take for a test drive. 

Everything I received. 

The following was taken from Mineral Love's Etsy page that features the Foxy Collection:


"You know you're a cute little heartbreaker". 
(Foxy)
"You know you're a sweet little lovemaker".
(Foxy)


The Foxy Collection was inspired by the intense, wailing groove of Jimi Hendrix's guitar. 
::swoon::


Do you love how I covered the words in a "Purple Haze"? Get it? Purple Haze? 

Super Sexy Jimi Hendrix
Image: amazon.com

I too swoon when I think of Jimi Hendrix and his guitar so I can totally respect the inspiration behind the collection. As you can see from the picture displaying my Mineral Love swag, I received a generous supply of stuff. Inside the sexy black lace bag was The Foxy Collection ($15.00) which consists of four pots of eye shadow and a bottle of Magic Mixing Medium ($5.00). I will explain what Magic Mixing Medium is used for shortly.


Tricia also stuck in a card with a picture of the completed look on an eye, (same picture of the eye that I featured above) and also gives step by step instructions on how to achieve the look using the shadows. I will not be sharing the steps with you. You will just have to buy the collection to get the tips. *Insert Evil Laugh Here* The last thing in the bag was Mineral Love's business card which had four sample packets of eye shadow attached to the back. I was really excited about that because samples rock. Duh.

The Foxy Collection Eye Shadows

Here are the eye shadows. The bottom three are sparkly while the top, dark color is matte.

Foxy Collection swatched dry.
(left to right)
Delicate, Glitz, Katelyn, Anne

Now here is where the Magic Mixing Medium comes in....

Magic Mixing Medium
Image: etsy.com

The Magic Mixing Medium transforms any of Mineral Love's eye shadows or blushes into rich, dense colors. Perfect for using as eyeliner or if you prefer cream blushes. The blendability (so not a word) of these shadows is so perfect and I would imagine that the same would be true of the blushes.


So what you do is you take some of the powder and tap it out into the cap. Then you squeeze a drop of Magic Mixing Medium on top of your powder mound in the cap.

A drop of Magic Mixing Medium in each cap.

Then simply swirl around to mix everything up and *BAM*, your makeup is transformed!

Swatched after adding Magic Mixing Medium.
(left to right)
Delicate, Glitz, Katelyn, Anne

You can see that the colors intensified after swirling with the Magic Mixing Medium. The texture obviously changes, becomes creamier, but still applies flawlessly. I am a huge fan of using eye shadow as eye liner as opposed to a pencil. It ends up looking less severe on my pale skin, and the color options are much more varied when selecting from my eye shadow collection instead of relying on my boring black/brown eye liner pencil. I absolutely adore using Anne as eye liner and have been doing so daily. It works well dry as a liner for day and at night I can add umph to my signature smoky eye by applying Anne wet as liner and then covering my lid with it dry. Perfection.


You may be asking yourself if I tried to create the "Foxy" look on myself. Where are the pictures?? Well I did try out the look. I succeeded in making my eyes look super Foxy but I refuse to take pictures of the result. 


Here's why....A.K.A. "my whiny excuses" 


March was the worst and presented me with a storm of catastrophes. (that I promise to address in a later post!) Therefore, my eyebrows have not seen a wax strip in at least four weeks. My overgrown eyebrows were ruining my Foxy pictures! I am seriously staring to look like Bert from Sesame Street. Or Martin Scorsce. For reals. So just use your imagination and visualize in your mind a picture of my eyes looking all sultry, smoky, and sparkly thanks to these eye shadows. Maybe it will erase the vision you have of me looking all like this:

Hello Unibrow!
Image: herr_hartman

Yes this is really Mr. Scorsese. I adore this rare, casual shot of him.
Image: Tyler Durdan_

Yup, this is a classic case of BEAUTY BLOGGER FAIL. I need to get it together, have a professional to maintenance my bushy brows, and take some pictures!


I'm getting off track here. Mineral Love!


The sample eye shadows that Tricia gave me were so pretty! Pastel and shimmery, they are so right for spring. 

(Clockwise from top left)
Elise, Emaline, Christina, Bombshell

The packets were harder to work with for obvious reasons. To use with the Magic Mixing Medium, I took a Q-Tip and fluffed a little of the eye shadow out onto a plate. Then I put a drop of the Magic Mixing Medium on top of the fluffed shadow. Below are the swatches....

Dry Swatches
(Left to Right)
Bombshell, Christina, Emaline, Elise

After adding Magic Mixing Medium
(Left to Right)
Bombshell, Christina, Emaline, Elise

Really pretty right?! Just like with the dark and smoky Anne, I love using Bombshell as eye liner. I was really frustrated while taking these pictures because some of the lovely effects didn't show up well. Like Christina has a awesome lilac sheen to it dry and as a creamy shadow. All of the colors have a kiss of shimmer, even Bombshell. 


Using alone, you can create a simple but stunning look for the office or running around town. Or you can whip up a night time look using all of the colors. I promise you won't look like a unicorn. And really, if you ended up looking like a unicorn would it be so bad? No! It would be magical!!  


OMG. Will someone let me know when my "World's Favorite ADHD Blogger" award arrives? I will be in the kitchen dumping out the rest of my third cup of coffee. 


For the longest time I had trouble achieving a smoky eye look on myself. I am sure I have mentioned before how fair my skin is. More often than not, the colors that I selected to work with were too harsh for my porcelain complexion and I would end up looking like someone punched me in the eyes. A hot mess. So when I was just starting out with this look (not that I am an expert now) I used light colors. Once I "mastered" the technique, I was able to play around with darker, but still flattering colors. I would recommend this method of "Smoky Eye 101" to amateurs everywhere. The light, dreamy colors I received in the sample packets would be so perfect for this! Bombshell as liner, Elise on the lid, and Emaline either in the crease or in the upper corner of the lid. Then finish off using Christina as a highlighter, applying to the inner corner of your eye and the brow bone. Easy, enchanting eyes!


After browsing the Mineral Love's Etsy store, I came up with a short list of must have products. Short because I want one of everything from each category! So I just picked some favorites.

Ready Set Go Oil Absorbing Powder
Image: etsy.com

Ready Set Go Oil Absorbing Powder ($14.99) is a light and fluffy finishing powder that was designed to minimize shine and extend the life of your foundation. 

Images: etsy.com

Saturday Full Size Eye Shadow ($9.99) is a taupey, purply, gray that I am always looking for. Perfect for any day, all day. 

Images: etsy.com

Just look at it! Who doesn't need Pink Unicorn Lip Gloss ($6.00) in their life??!!


***********************************************************


I chatted with the beautiful Tricia from Mineral Love about starting her own makeup line, customer compliments, and of course....Baltimore.

Tricia being all gorgeous.
Image: esty.com

Why did you decide to create your own makeup line?

  

I feel like everything I've experienced in my life (both professionally and personally) has led me to my passion. The thought of starting my own line had crossed my mind numerous times, but not until my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer did I take action. Watching his sickness and his inevitable degradation made me realize just how fragile and short life is, and I wanted more out of life than I had given myself up until that point. I immediately delved into research and development, which served two purposes: not only was I working towards creating a satisfying life for myself, but it also helped me do something positive with my grief instead of slipping into a chasm of sadness. In a way, my dad's passing actually helped me renew my own life, of which I am eternally grateful.  

Which product are you most proud of and why?

Ooo, this is a tough one! I am extremely proud of every product I create, but if I had to choose just one, I would say my eye shadows. I never get tired of hearing my customers say "I love your shadows so much more than <insert big box cosmetic company's name here.> Yours are all I use!" I am still blown away and humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support from my fans and friends; it inspires me to create even more awesome shades!

I also do custom requested colors, and there is no greater joy than seeing the look on their faces (or reading their elated emails) when I've made The. Perfect. Color. 

What do you love most about living in Baltimore?

There is so much that I love about Baltimore! I was born in another state, but was raised here (my mom is originally from here, and we moved back when I was just a baby.)  I love how connected everyone really is (they don't call it "Small-timore" for nothing!) and I love the indie brick-and-mortar shops in each of our different neighborhoods. I love the Visionary Art Museum. I have fond memories of cutting last period and heading to the Inner Harbor or Fells Point (I mean, uh... I'm a perfect angel... I never cut class...) Most of all, I love all of the amazing people I've met and how diverse our city is. Charm City is where my heart is. ♥

***********************************************************

Mineral Love is so totally worth your time. If you love makeup as much as I do, you will "ooooo" and "ahhh" over the huge variety of products and spectrum of colors. The texture of the eye shadows is amazing and really one of the best I have ever tried. The best part of all? Every product is reasonably priced. Which means my must have list will absolutely get crossed off soon! 


I would like to give a shout out to Tricia. Thank you for your generosity, patience, and participation. I wish you so much success and luck in the future!


Visit the Mineral Love shop on Etsy, like Mineral Love on Facebook, and keep up to date on the latest news by following Mineral Love on Twitter.


SO....are you dying to get over to Mineral Love? What is your favorite product? Do you think I can take my little black lace bag that my products arrived in and turn it into a hot thong? Maybe sell it on Etsy? Repurposed thongs anyone? I will name my store "Kit's Knickers". YES!