Review: 100% Pure Purity Spot Treatment.

I realise I haven't posted in a couple of months - I've been on multiple work trips, to Beijing, Bali and this Sunday I'll be going to the Maldives! Been really swamped with work but still trying to stay happy and healthy amidst the craziness, and keep my skin looking good (which is so hard when I travel)!

So today I'd like to share a review of 100% Pure's Purity Spot Treatment! It's called a spot treatment, but if you're looking for a traditional spot treatment (i.e. zit zapper) to target inflamed zits, this is not it. It's not strong enough. Instead, I use it as an allover acne treatment before adding a light layer of moisturizer (it's super gentle - it's not a spot treatment really so it's totally not harsh at all). If you have seriously oily and problematic skin, it's moisturizing enough to use all over the face without the need for an additional face moisturizer. (It will not be moisturizing enough for normal skin, or in air-conditioning, or in dry climates.) I read the reviews on MuA and I see that everyone agrees that this is not a heavy-duty acne spot treatment - many use it all over the face as a pre-moisturizer acne serum.

The ingredients are mainly essential oils in an aloe vera base. This is one of the few facial products I could find which includes thyme, which is supposed to be a good acne fighter! 

I do like the Purity Spot Treatment as a gentle allover anti-acne base. I find it really helps with oil control! If I'm not in air-conditioning, I will skip moisturizer and just apply this all over. My oily but dehydrated skin does feel like it needs more moisture if I use this alone, but if your skin is oily and not dehydrated, you can definitely use this alone. (Price - US$19 for 30ml, pretty reasonable.)

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Juice)*, Organic Lavandula Angustifolia Aqua (Lavender Hydrosol)*, Extracts Of Calendula Officinalis Flower (Calendula), Echinacea Purpurea (Echinacea), Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem And Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Hyaluronic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Water (Witch Hazel), Extracts Of Fucus Vesiculosus (Seaweed), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf (Rosemary), Origanum Vulgare Leaf (Oregano) And Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf (Thyme). * Certified Organic

Rating: 9/10

Review: 100% Pure Acai Berry Antioxidant Eye Cream

The main difference between this eye cream and the 100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream (previously reviewed) is that the coffee bean one has a base of rose hip oil, while this one has a base of acai berry oil. I feel that this is less greasy/oily than the Coffee Bean one, probably because rose hip oil is a heavier oil than acai berry oil. Also, the Coffee Bean one contains coffee cherry extract (caffeine) that is supposed to help depuff and make you look more awake.

From this swatch you can tell that the Acai Berry Eye Cream has a more fluid texture that the Coffee Bean Eye Cream (which is thicker and creamier). 

I have to say - I like the Acai Berry Antioxidant Eye Cream better than the Coffee Bean Eye Cream. It is light, is absorbed easily and moisturizes well. It has a light berry scent. If you have oily skin and you live in a hot and humid climate - this eye cream will suit you better. Unlike the Coffee Bean Eye Cream, the Acai Berry one doesn't come in a smaller tube - it only comes in the 30ml pump tube with a shelf life of 6 months. Still, it isn't too pricy at US$28 and it will definitely last me for 6 months. 

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Organic Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Rose Hydrosol)*, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Berry) Fruit Oil, Extracts of: Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Berry) Fruit, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldendeal) and Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E) * Certified Organic

Rating: 9/10

Review: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip & Cheek Stain (Cherry)

I have very pale lips so I rely on lipstains to make myself look alive. Usually I use The Body Shop's Lip and Cheek Stain for a natural-looking tint, but recently I've had the urge to overhaul my make-up and skincare collection to natural products. Furthermore, we all know that lip products are easily ingested and I'd rather ingest something natural. When I saw the 100% Pure Lip & Cheek Stain while blog-surfing online, I had to get it.

From the website:

100% natural, 100% vegan, gluten free

long lasting, water resistant formula

colored from fruit and vegetable pigments

The formula is not as runny-liquid as The Body Shop's. Instead, it is more of a gel. I accidentally tasted it and it's terribly bitter! -gag- The colour is a pigmented red and quite pretty. It goes on evenly, feels comfortable and is not as drying as The Body Shop's liptint, and on my lips, the stain lasts till lunchtime. I quite like it, but I prefer ModelCo's Lip Tint, which I will review next week!

Top: 100% Pure Lip & Cheek Stain. Botton: The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain

Top: 100% Pure Lip & Cheek Stain. Botton: The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain

As you can see, 100% Pure is more pigmented and gel-like than The Body Shop's Lip & Cheek Stain, which is less pigmented and more watery. Since 100% Pure is more gel-like, I would prefer not to use it on my cheeks (since I have oily, acne-prone skin). The Body Shop's stain blends more easily, since it's more watery, but lasting power is better than 100% Pure's because it really stains while 100% Pure's just kind of sits on top of the skin, since it's more of a gel. But - 100% Pure's is more moisturizing (thanks to sodium hyaluronate) while The Body Shop's can be a bit drying on the lips. 

I like the cardboard tube it comes in - I'm thinking I can probably use it to contain those bits and pieces when I'm travelling, but I haven't figured out what I can use it for exactly. Well it is cute and I'm just trying to find a reason to keep it.

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Organic Aloe Juice)*, Vegetable Glycerin, Calendula Officinalis (Organic Calendula) Flower Extract*, Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Blueberry Skin) Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Juice Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract, Curcuma Longa (Organic Turmeric) Root Extract*, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Extract, Red Wine Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Flower Extract*, Vitis Vinifera (Organic Grape) Seed Extract*, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honey Suckle) Extract

* Certified Organic

I knocked off 2 points because the colour (red-based) is not as natural on me as a berry-based colour would be. Also, it isn't the most long lasting lip tint I've tried. Still, if you're looking to clean up your beauty and make-up regimen, the natural ingredients in this makes it worth a try!

Rating: 8/10

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream Review

I have been trying to switch to natural products since about half a year ago, and was searching for a good eye cream because my undereye area was just... so dry! I searched MakeupAlley for a good, natural eye cream and chanced upon 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. It comes in 2 sizes - 1oz (30ml) squeeze pump tube and 0.5oz (15ml) tube. I decided to get the smaller tube at USD11, because the packaging is more convenient and most of the eye creams I used previously were also just 15ml but lasted me a long time! 

I've been using this for almost 4 months and am almost finished with the tube. It smells delicious - like sweet vanilla coffee! The texture is a little creamy, whipped and buttery. It is a little bit oily for daytime and I feel like my undereye concealer (Cle de Peau) doesn't stay too well on top of this eye cream. However, it feels pretty moisturizing.

The website states that it's clinically proven to de-puff and brighten dark circles, lessen lines and wrinkles, and makes you look more refreshed and awake. Well, after 4 months of use, I don't really notice my eyes getting brighter (I have serious dark circles - the brown type). But I do notice my undereye area getting smoother. Also, due to my deep double eyelids and my tendency to eye-smile, I get crow's feet when I smile! :( But recently, my sister mentioned that she doesn't notice them on me anymore! So perhaps this eye cream helped a little in that aspect. :) It's pretty inexpensive so I might repurchase it again. The only thing holding me back is that because of the natural formulation, it's a little too oily/heavy for day use. 

And just a tip - I would definitely purchase the smaller 0.5oz tube over the larger 1.0oz squeeze-pump tube. The shelf life is 6 months, and the small tube lasted me 4 months, so I wouldn't be able to finish the large tube within 6 months. 

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Rose Hydrosol, Organic Rosehip Oil, Organic Green Coffee, Vitamin E (tocopherol), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), Extracts of: Coffee Cherry, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Goldenseal, Vanilla Absolute, Candelilla Wax

Rating: 8/10