Cheap Thrills: Black Magic

We all know I'm the gothic Whoreder, so it comes as no surprise that I love the darker side of life - and that includes my beauty products. What fine lady and dapper gent couldn't do with a little black magic in their beautification routine?

Shampoo/Conditioner
Let's start from the top, my long-time hair care companion, Aveda's Black Malva Shampoo and Conditioner. I've been using Aveda for 20+ years, and although I like to try new products now and then, I've never been without my beloved Black Malva. It's made for dark hair colors, and helps bring out the cooler tones while reducing red & brassy tones. I loathe red in my hair, I want it black as black can possibly be. As mentioned on Aveda's site, "Contains organically grown aloe, black tea and emollient-rich black malva that's been wild-crafted—sustainably gathered by hand in its natural habitat." 

Left: Black Malva Shampoo, Right: Black Malva Conditioner

Black Malva is part of Aveda's Pure Plant collection, and there are other flavors colors available: Blue Malva (for blonde or grey hair), Camomile (brightens blonde highlights), Clove (enriches brown hair), and Madder Root (for red & auburn hair).


Charcoal Skincare

Black Moon Charcoal Sandalwood Soap

Charcoal is another dark and lovely ingredient that can work its black magic on your skin. Activated charcoal can draw out dirt and muck from your pores, leaving you with super clean skin. You can use if for your face, or for your whole body - just don't forget to do your best Buffalo Bill Silence of the Lambs voice while you lather up. The first charcoal soap I ever tried was Shea Moisture, which is available at drugstores (I got mine at Target). But there are so many out there now! Here are some others I've tried and are on my to-try list: Coal Face from Lush, Origins Body Soap, Soapwalla's Charcoal Soap, and Sisters of the Black Moon's Charcoal Sandalwood soap.


Origins Charcoal Mask
 

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask

Origins introduced me to the world of charcoal years ago, and I still love their Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask. I use it a couple of times a month, and follow their recommendation to use a warm towel on my face right before applying the mask. The warmth will open up your pores and help the charcoal draw out the ick that got all up in your face. The 1.7 oz size is only $16, and will be enough for multiple uses, so treat yoself!

Boscia Black Mask  & Pore Strips
I am having a hardcore love affair with Boscia at the moment, their BB Cream blew my socks off and I've started trying more of their products (and falling deeper in love). I got their Little Black Book kit as a gift, it includes sample size versions of their Black Collection - all products that help control shine and minimize pores.

Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips

Boscia's Pore Purifying Black Strips are like those disgusting but fascinating pore strips you may have tried in the past. Boscia kicks it up a notch by including charcoal powder (to draw out dirt and oil), silica (to control excess oil), witch hazel extract (tightens the look of pores), and willowherb (an anti-irritant to help calm skin and remove redness). Plus, hello, they make you look fabulous!

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

My new favorite Boscia obsession, Luminizing Black Mask! First off, it's a peel-off - so you feel like a mad scientist or Christian Bale in American Psycho.  You apply a coat of the mask on your whole face (I just did my nose in the photos above), avoiding your hairline and brows. You wait for it to dry, about 30 min, and then slowwwwwly peel it off. If feels super weird and kind of gross, but SO GOOD. If you're a real weirdo (like me), you can save the peeled off sections to study later.

Nail Polish

Let's all agree that Karen O is amazing, okay?  That being said, her KnockOut (KO, get it?) Nail Polish is amaaaaazing! I especially love her Flatte Black, a black-black-black no-shine polish that comes in a beautiful bottle. I love flat nail color, hop aboard my crazy train. They also make a Flatte Top top coat that protects your polish while keeping the color matte.

Illamasqua also makes two really nice black polishes, Scorn (flat) and Boosh (glossy). I love their polish, it lasts a really long time and the color selection is gorgeous.

I've missed sharing my Cheap Thrills with you! I promise not to be such a stranger, if you promise to do that thing you told me about that one time.

Until next time, stay glamorous...

Vanessa's Obession of the Month: Soapwalla Deodorant Cream

Greetings and salutations, welcome to our newest addition - Vanessa's Obsession of the Month! Because I always seem to be obsessing over something, I thought it would be nice to share my mania with you, my favorite people. I'll try to keep it fresh, introducing things you may not have heard of, but will also reintroduce some classics that may have fallen off your radar. Let's do this...

The inaugural obsession is: Soapwalla's Deodorant Cream! This actually isn't an obsession of the month, since I've been using it for almost a year - but I realized I hadn't told that many people about it. Perhaps because the old pits don't come up in regular conversation, or we shy away from discussing our more intimate rituals? Who knows, but it's high time I shout about this stuff from the rooftops.

I first heard about it from my friend Marie, when she took part in the Deodorant Reviews on Rookie. I was intrigued by the idea of a good natural deodorant, because my previous experiences have (literally) stunk. Although it's still not scientifically proven to be harmful, I want to avoid deodorants with aluminum. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (she's been cancer free for over 5 years, yay!), so I started being extra cautious about the products I was using. Also, the idea of a natural alternative is just plain nice. I want the things I'm consuming and coming into contact with to be as good for me as possible, and that usually means a little more legwork to find them and a little more money to purchase them.

So let's discuss the one big drawback - Cost. Soapwalla's Deodorant Cream will run you $14, which might drive some of you away immediately. But wait, hear me out! Yes, it's quite a bit more than regular $4 deodorant from the drug store - but think about what you're paying for. Soapwalla uses organic, natural, REAL ingredients. No additives, harmful chemicals, parabens, petroleum, or aluminum compounds. Here's my stance on saving (and Whoreding) - there are some corners I am okay cutting. This isn't one of them - I put more thought about what goes in and on my body, and I'm willing to splurge if it means a better quality product that may be less harmful to me.

Okay, on to the obsession of it all...

Soapwalla Deodorant Cream

It's not your usual deodorant, it doesn't come in a stick or tube, but rather in a little screw-top container and looks kinda like frosting. If it's warm, it might separate a bit, no biggie, just stir it up and let it chill in the freezer for a while. You apply it with your fingers, take a little and just smear it on your pits like lotion. Aside from being all natural and all that good junk, it absorbs right in and leaves NO RESIDUE. Do you know how thrilled I am that I never have to worry about white deodorant marks all over my gothic black clothing?! Also, It's a vegan product, and Soapwalla does no animal testing.

The deodorant cream is unisex, so the smell is pretty neutral - I mostly smell the tea tree oil and lavender notes. I've let a couple of men try it, and they agreed it's neither masculine nor feminine. We agreed that overall the smell is best described as clean and fresh.

It contains jojoba oil, and I've learned that some people are sensitive to this ingredient, and it can cause some skin sensitivity or an allergic reaction. I've used it for almost a year without any negative reactions, and my mom (who is so sensitive she can't use any deodorant/lotion/soap with fragrance or dyes) had zero sensitivity to Soapwalla. If I had some sort of rating system, Soapwalla Deodorant Cream would get top marks, I love it and use it everyday!