Natural Beauty: Herbivore Botanicals

A little un-boxing photo, literally.

First off, how wonderfully simplistic is Herbivore's packaging?  It's minimal, crisp, and the containers are reusable.  The products are also vegan, natural, and cruelty-free.  For the entire month of August I used Herbivore Botanicals exclusively, with the exception of an added SPF in the morning.  I had read great things about them and wanted to see if their products were really worth the hype.  My day and night routines consisted of:  

Cleansing:  Blue Clay Cleansing Bar Soap

Toner/Mist:  Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist

Face Oil:  Lapis Facial Oil

Moisturizer:  Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment (I used it as a moisturizer day & night, plus an SPF.)

I am using the Lapis face oil first,
in case you're wondering.  Sorry it's a
bit dingy looking.

Image courtesy of herbivorebotanicals.com

I don't care for the feeling bar soap has on my skin, and they all feel the same.  It almost feels like a film is left behind.  After about 3 days, my skin became more accustomed to the soap bar.  While it felt clean, the film-y feeling never went away completely.  I used reusable cotton rounds to apply the face mist.  Two sprays is all it took.  I found that less product was used when I applied it that way instead of spraying it on my face.  I loved the combination of coconut water, witch hazel, and other high-impact ingredients.  The face mist was followed by a small amount of the thick and rich Moon Fruit-- I'd say around a pea-sized amount.  Moon Fruit is packed with antioxidants, fruit extracts, essential oils, and more to keep your skin looking its best.  Just be careful not to use too much, or you tint purple.  Not to worry though; simply remove any excess product, and be sure to work in what you use thoroughly.  Moon Fruit was topped off with a few swirls of Lapis oil, which contains ingredients for fighting redness while clarifying the skin.  Since I bought the roller version, I swirled it in my palms a few times and worked the product into my face and neck. I received a deluxe sample of the Blue Tansy face mask, which was part of a promotion.  While it didn't do wonders for me, it has for many others, and is worth a try.  Every product I tried was scented, so if you are sensitive to scents, you may want to grab a sample at Sephora to see how your skin reacts.

The Price Breakdown:

Blue Clay Cleansing Bar Soap, $12.00

Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist, $16.00

Lapis Facial Oil, $26.00

Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment, $58.00

The End Result:

After 30 days my skin looked clearer and felt wonderfully smooth.  The dry patches on my face cleared up, and while I was (and am) constantly tired, my skin looked refreshed.  While I liked the bar soap, I don't know that I will repurchase it.  The same goes for the face mist.  The mist did exactly what it claimed to, but other toners are a little bit more effective.  I love how soft the Lapis oil made my skin, which is why I'm excited to try the others.  My skin was less red, and I hardly had one pimple.  Since I had been so stressed out and I was been put on a higher dose of medication, my face was breaking out often.  Within a week I noticed that my skin was clearing up.  When I run out, I will definitely repurchase it.  The Moon Fruit was my favorite of all of the products.  It provided added moisture where I needed it, and made my skin feel like silk.  It is very thick, so a little goes a long way.  An added bonus is the little spatula (not pictured) that comes in the box.  No more dipping fingers into lotion pots!    

In the future I would like to try their lip products and other skincare, especially the brightening mask, post shave elixir, and hair perfume.  I can't wait to see how the other face oils I purchased worked out.  That will be for another review.  Have you tried Herbivore Botanicals?  If you have a favorite product, let me know!

Stay beautiful!