I feel like it has been a little while since I have shared what I have been using on my skin lately. If you are new to reading my blog or seeing any of my posts, I use to do favorite products for the month or for the season. Lately that hasn’t been happening, but I want to bring that back in some way. We’ll see how it goes.

I have acne prone oily skin, so when I find something that works I always try to share it. I have been testing out a few new products this summer, and there are 2 brands that I have continued to go back to during my daily and weekly routine. Check out the brands below and see what I have been loving.

Scentbird is best known for their perfume subscription service, but did you know that they have skin care and other items on their site that you can buy and test out? I didn’t know myself until recently. The mystical crystal masks are a new addition and I had them sent over to me so I could try them out. The masks are a new product that just launched this summer. They not only look pretty, but feel amazing on the skin!!! They include natural oils and healing properties like rosehip oil, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.

Here is a little more information on the launch and what each mask has in it.

Scentbird Debuts First-Ever “Healing Crystal/Gemstone Collection” Featuring Five Masks that Harness Healing Powers of Crystals Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine, Moonstone and Black Onyx

 Scentbird, the premier fragrance/ beauty subscription service now delivering to 300,000 people a month, debuts this month a first-ever “Healing Crystal/ Gemstone Collection.” Featuring five masks with the natural healing powers of Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine, Moonstone, and Black Onyx, the masks soothe, refresh and revive the skin. The capsule collection is designed to harness the unique holistic properties of gemstones, and target a variety of skin conditions, from anti-aging to inflammation. Whether looking for a moisturizing and nourishing treatment, cooling and calming or a warming skin detox, the Scentbird “Healing Crystal/ Gemstone Collection” offers a range of benefits and textures to personalize anyone’s skincare routine. 

 “Over the past few years, I’ve been fascinated with the holistic properties of crystals,” said Mariya Nurislamova, CEO of Scentbird. “In developing the Crystal Face Mask capsule collection, we wanted to highlight the unique skin-healing powers of each gemstone and fuse them with complementary ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Centella Asiatica​. Everyone’s skin is different, and we really wanted to provide a range of textures and benefits to help beauty-lovers choose what works for them.  

 Among the Masks are: 

Rose Quartz Nourishing Youth Mask -- Rosehip Seed Oil provides intense nourishment, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while honey locks in moisture for a soft & smooth complexion.

 Amethyst Calming Cooling Mask -- A tranquil treat for tired skin, infused with calming amethyst. Powered by Centella Asiatica, a super-soothing white tea extract that helps to calm skin and reduce inflammation, our cooling mask offers sweet relief to sensitive and stressed skin.

 Citrine Brightening Peel-Off Mask -- Banish imperfections and boost brilliance with radiant citrine. Energizing turmeric and Vitamin C help revitalize the appearance of dull & uneven skin, unveiling a more refined, refreshed and radiant complexion.

 Moonstone Hydrating Sleeping Mask -- Ethereal moonstone imparts dreamy, dewy skin, infused with light. The lightweight, pillow-proof formula boasts Hyaluronic Acid to lock in moisture to the skin, for a luminous, lit-from-within glow.

 Black Onyx Warming Detox Mask -- Your ultimate skin protector, black onyx strips away pore-clogging dirt, oil and pollution to purify skin. Black silt helps reduce the look of pores & keeps oil at bay, all without stripping skin of essential moisture.

My two favorite masks have been the rose quartz nourishing youth mask and the citrine brighting peel off mask. They have helped to keep my skin hydrated and looking bright for the summer. No one likes dull skin right? These masks are definitely a must try!!!

Taylor + Tess is a brand that I just learned about recently!! It is a unisex skin care line that encourages everyone (both men, women and everyone else in between) to take care of their skin. They have carefully formulated their products and made sure to add only ingredients that are going to help heal the skin. The line is plant based and hemp seed infused. The products include a cleansing bar, toning spray and a night time cream. I have been using the products at night during my night time routine and I absolutely love the cleansing bar!!! It has helped to not only clean my skin, but has helped to keep it moisturized as well. I know it’s summer time and most people are worried about to much oil on their skin, but for me I welcome the oils!! Adding oils to my skin helps to balance out the natural oils that I already have and most skin experts will tell you that you should stay moisturized whether is it winter or summer. Never skip the hydration in your skin care routine!!

Anyway… back to the products. Here is a little bit of info on the product line more on Taylor + Tess.

A little bit about the founder:

TAYLOR + tess founder - Tess Melody Taylor - is a collector of degrees, an active voice in the cannabis community, and a military brat of two veteran parents who have observed and experienced the power of the plant first hand. In 2018, Tess established her namesake brand in Dallas, TX with the intention of filling a gap in the beauty market for a clean and inclusive CBD skincare line. With this line and those yet to come, Tess is on a mission to share the benefits of cannabis and advocate for its legalization with a parallel charge promoting equality for all, nationwide and beyond. products are available nationwide.

The products

• in the Buff // cleansing bar

  hemp-infused cleansing bar is handmade and features African black soap made from organic cocoa pod ash that gently cleanses, fights bacteria, and is full of antioxidants, iron, and vitamins A + E to heal acne, eczema, and psoriasis while evening skin texture. the activated charcoal acts as a magnet for dirt and oil. we added a well-balanced blend of olive, coconut, avocado, and castor oil to leave your skin feeling hydrated + supple.

  Ingredients:

  Water, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Hempseed Oil, African Black Soap Powder (Cocoa Pod Ash), Plantain Peel Ash, Palm Kernel Oil (sustainably sourced), Camwood Bark), Lavender Oil, Hemp Oil, White Willow Bark Powder, Activated Charcoal

  Benefits:

  • vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free

  • white willow bark is a natural source of salicylic acid that helps reveal smoother skin

  • plantain peel ash is a natural, gentle exfoliator that is rich in potassium, which is great for skin renewal (this also may reduce the appearance of acne scars)

  • castor oil is an anti-microbial that fights dirt + is rich in fatty acids that promote the growth of healthy skin tissue

• the Quickie // facial toning spray

  facial toning spray features kakadu plum extract and witch hazel that help your skin stay hydrated and bacteria free throughout the day. our pore-refining toner helps remove residual dirt you may have missed while cleansing and preps it to receive the nutrients in the next steps of your skin regimen.

  Ingredients:

  water, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, vegetable glycerin, polysorbate 20, vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) fruit extract, punica granatum (pomegranate) fruit extract, avena sativa (oat) extract, terminalia ferdinandiana (kakadu plum) fruit extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, full-spectrum hemp oil, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) oil, citrus bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, caprylyl glycol

  Benefits:

  • full-spectrum, lab-tested hemp oil

  • vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free

  • kakadu plum is rich in skin-brightening vitamin c

  • witch hazel is a natural astringent that removes excess oil + impurities

  • aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory that soothes and hydrates skin

• the Nightcap // nighttime moisturizer

  high-quality hemp extract + a hefty dose of vitamin C rich ingredients. our silky nighttime cream delivers high concentrations of vitamin C + E to encourage cell turnover while you sleep to reveal glowing skin in the morning. our oil blend is well-balanced so your skin gets the nutrients you need without leaving a greasy residue, just in case your skin or climate calls for daytime use. daily use helps to balance and revive dry, dull, listless skin.

  Ingredients:

  aloe, coconut oil, emulsifying wax, glycerin, stearic acid, vitamin c, ester, vitamin e, sunflower seed oil, green clay extract, organic blueberry fruit extract, organic red raspberry fruit extract, organic cranberry fruit extract, organic white willow bark extract, rosehip seed oil, organic neem seed oil, full-spectrum hemp oil, organic rosemary leaf extract, organic sunflower seed oil, organic alcohol, xantahn gum, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, lavender + ylang-ylang essential oils

  Benefits:

  • full-spectrum, lab-tested hemp oil

  • vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free

  • vitamin C boosts collagen production and is a powerful antioxidant that may help fight photodamage

  • vitamin E is one of the most well-known and researched antioxidants that naturally occur in your skin but often becomes depleted after prolonged sun exposure

  • blueberry, raspberry + cranberry extracts are powerful antioxidants that protect skin against environmental stressors with photoprotective action

  • rosehip seed oil, referred to as “nature’s retinol”, improves complexion and smooths fine lines

  • balanced for skin’s pH between 4.2 to 5.8

I love learning about new products and trying new things when it comes to skin care. As I am getting older it has become more important than ever for me to take care of myself and that includes taking care of my skin. Clean beauty is my go to and I like to make sure that I am using things that are only going to help and not just use products with a bunch of fluff ingredients in it. I am not perfect, but so far these products that I am sharing here have been helping to keep my skin free of breakouts and brings on the natural glow that I love. Do you have any products that you have been your go to lately?

Thank you to the PR for sending me the products to try out.