Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Natural Soap, $5

A little while ago I reviewed Pacifica's Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume Solid. I loved the smell, but was disappointed at its lack of staying power. I decided to try their soap this time, because I still can't help but want to smell like a blood orange all the time (and this was much cheaper than the perfume spray!).

Thankfully, the soap is just $5 (for a pretty big bar) and smells exactly like the perfume solid--maybe even more so! The soap is just your basic all-natural soap, made with natural and vegan ingredients, including actual bits of blood orange.

The soap works well (like most bar soaps it can be a little drying), and smells fantastic. The smell lasts a little longer than the perfume solid. It especially fills your shower and bathroom with the wonderful scent. Mmm . . .

Final verdict
Cost: $5--very reasonable!
Scent: Smells exactly like the perfume solid I raved about earlier. OMG, can't stop smelling it!
Guilt-free: No chemicals, no animal products, and good for the environment. Portions of the sale even go to supporting clean water projects.
Repeat offender: I'd buy this again. I can't get over the beautiful smell! I would probably use it as a hand soap more than for my body, though. That way I could use it often and have the scent fill up my bathroom.

-T

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil Pure Vegetable Soap (bar), $1.50

I went to Trader Joe's the other day and decided to try their Tea Tree Oil Bar Soap. I love TJ's, love their oatmeal soap, and really love tea tree oil. A lot of all-natural beauty products (especially soaps and shampoos) contain tea tree oil--it's a natural astringent, is antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and may even have some of the same skin-clearing benefits of benzoyl peroxide (thanks, Wikipedia!). Plus, it's $1.50 for 2 bars--what do you have to lose?


I loooove the smell of tea tree oil. The first time I smelled it was when I got pure tea tree oil to clean my belly button ring (lol). I opened it and was like, "Whew!" It's strong! But there was something in it that is really clean and natural--nothing smells quite like it. The fragrance is much less intense in this bar soap compared to the pure oil, but still is distinct. The soap smells nicely in the shower but doesn't leave much of a lingering scent.

This vegetable soap is all-natural and contains no animal byproducts (and, of course, there's no animal testing). A lot of all-natural soaps don't really lather that much, but this one soaps up really nicely. I used a loofa (mesh sponge thing) and was surprised at how much lather I got out of it. It left my skin feeling tight and clean--I used it after working out and it felt like it really cleaned away that yucky, sweaty feeling.

Final verdict
Cost: $1.50--are you kidding? That's nothing! Totally worth it.
Smell: I love the scent of tea tree oil, but it may not be so great to everyone. Try smelling some before you buy it. (They have the oil at TJ's, but smell lightly!)
Clean feeling: This soap left me feeling clean and left my skin feeling tight. I think I could probably even use it for my face if I'm feeling really oily (with some light moisturizer).
Repeat offender: I would buy this again. It's a deal and it's a great, cruelty-free soap. Yay, TJ's!

-T

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin, $10

Testimonial: Last August, my skin started breaking out for no reason. And when I say "my skin," I mean everywhere--my face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back. I've always had acne-prone skin (mostly my chin and--yes, I'll admit it--my back), but I had never gotten anything on my shoulders. All of a sudden I had all these little bumps, and they wouldn't go away. I went to a dermatologist, who barely looked at me and gave me all these topical treatments. Nothing worked. My skin was getting worse--breaking out even more and getting extremely sensitive. I was mad. She told me to buy a cleanser that was about $30. It seemed to work okay but nothing magical. One day I left it at my boyfriend's house and I had nothing to use. My brother had some Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin that I never felt like trying but now, I needed something. I'm glad I tried it because this stuff is GREAT.

Cetaphil's Daily Cleanser is clear, thin, and slippery (I know, I know, weird word choice, but you know what I mean!). I use about 2 pumps per area; its thinness makes it easy to spread out a small amount. It foams a little bit but not too much. While I was using it for the first time I thought, "There's no way this is doing anything." It's so gentle and non-irritating--but don't let the gentleness fool you! Right after the first wash my skin felt clean and tight (you know I love that feeling). I had washed my face at night and the next day my zits and pores were smaller (the very next day!). I kept using it and after a week or so the bumps on my chest and shoulders were gone, and my face and back look better than they have in a loooong time.

Cetaphil has greatly reduced my breakouts and made the ones I do get smaller and less lingering. I do recommend using a moisturizer afterward because it leaves your skin kinda dry. I'm also going to try a new exfoliating scrub to add to my routine--while this is an awesome cleanser, it doesn't do much for blackheads, and I feel like I need some dead skin scrubbed off. More on that later!

Final verdict
Cost: $10 for a 16 oz. bottle is a great price, especially compared to high-end brands and that $30 stuff the dermatologist made me buy. And it lasts a long time!
Skin clearing: OMG, my skin is much happier. It soothed my pissed off skin and shrank my pores. But, maybe I'll add a scrub to take care of my blackheads.
Skin type: This one is made for normal to oily skin. I have sensitive combination skin and this is perfect for me. They also have a Gentle Skin Cleanser for very sensitive skin (skin conditions like severe acne, rosacea, or eczema, even for children).
Repeat offender: Yes! If you have troubled skin and nothing is helping, give this a try. I will buy this again and again and recommend it to everyone.

-T

PS, back to makeup: Sephora.com is selling this Smashbox Cream Eyeliner set for only $15! Want want want.

Trader Joe’s Oatmeal & Honey Soap, $1.99

For the longest time I would only use body washes and completely snub barred soap. I thought that soap bars were more prone to dry out my skin and not actually produce a good lather, but I was definitely wrong. I also suffer from really super sensitive skin, and not just on my face. In the winter months my legs get so dry that I feel like ripping my own skin off. I did a little research and found out that oatmeal is a really good “cure” to dry skin so I started my hunt for a soap that contained oatmeal to help with the itching. I went straight for body washes that claimed to be infused with oatmeal to help with itchy skin but none of the ones I tried really helped.

I picked up Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness Oatmeal & Honey Soap on a trip to my former place of employment (I remember stocking the soap on the shelf but I had never tried it!). For $1.99 you get 2 full bars of soap (4 oz each) that are made with just a handful of really recognizable (and natural) ingredients. I didn’t think this soap would do the trick but this mild soap is perfect for those of us with dry skin. Not only is it infused with flecks of oatmeal that are so fine you can hardly tell they are there, but it has a really nice mild smell that leaves you feeling fresh and feminine (don’t worry boys you can use this soap too its not just for girls). The soap builds a nice lather that goes on the skin smooth and once rinsed off you can feel that your skin is moisturized. Without any added perfumes this soap is purely for the purpose of cleaning and soothing dry skin. This won’t replace the need to moisturize with a lotion like this one, but it will definitely help with the itchiness and soothe your dry and unhappy winter-abused skin.

Final verdict:
Cost: $1.99 for 2 full bars of soap (a good deal in my opinion)
Scent: Mild, clean, and soft
Repeat offender: I’ve been using this soap for months, I will definitely continue to (just hope Trader Joe’s doesn’t stop carrying it—they do that sometimes!)
-M