Enough With Singing About That Girl Who's On Fire...Let's Sing About That Girl Who's On A Budget!

Christian Schloe's "Portrait of A Heart."   I love this with such a passion.

So, we've all heard that song that Alicia Keys sings about that girl who's on fire, right?  Well, to be honest,  I'm infinitely more interested in that girl who's on a budget since she's the person I'm getting emails from all the time asking me how to do this "green" thing when she's strapped for cash.  Enjoy reading about affordable clean skincare, you girl on a budget!

The green beauty industry is amazing on many fronts, but what's really cool about it is the amount of companies that are making high-quality, toxin-free product that is also completely affordable.

THE BRANDS

Napa Organics
Great for:  Body and face oils, scrubs, toner, and lotions
Price range: $12 - $32

Organic California Almond Oil $16

So, you're a budget, huh? Well, I'm recommending you try Napa Organics' Plum Kernel Oil as it can be used all over the face, under the eyes, on hair and even as a body oil. What makes this oil wonderful? The scent of cherries and almonds is off the charts! And, it has only one ingredient, 100% pure California Plum Kernel Oil.  I have super dry skin and found this to be on the lighter side, so if you like an oil, but you're not very dry, this will be awesome for you.  At $32, this pure oil is a steal and is going to last you quite some time. My other recommendation from Napa Organics is their Organic Almond Oil for $16.  I've been using this as a body oil and I absolutely love the purity of it, how it blends so well and how quickly it absorbs.  Oh, and don't forget their Prune & Walnut Face Scrub for $12...this is a big size that will last forever! Read more about my take on Napa Organics here.   

Japanese Konjac Sponge

Great for: natural face and body sponges

The Amazing Green Tea Konjac Sponge $11

Price range: $10.50 - $11.50

I love these!  If you're not in the market for buying an exfoliator and cleanser and you're the low-maintenance type, having one of these around will be a complete dream for you.  Slightly alkaline, these sponges break down dirt and oils. I keep one hanging in my shower and use it to gently exfoliate my face and body.  I like to clean my face with a cleanser to remove all my makeup, but love giving it a light massage with my Japanese Konjac Sponge to seal the deal.  I also love how it feels on the body. These will last 4-6 weeks...even longer if you don't use it daily.

Acure Organics' Brightening Face Scrub

Acure Organics
Great for:  All skincare and haircare
Price Range: $4 - $25

Most likely, many of you have heard of Acure Organics before.  You are probably also aware of how totally inexpensive their line has always been.  In fact, when someone gives me the, "Well, it's too expensive to buy natural skincare and I don't know where to get it."  I quickly send them over to Whole Foods for some Acure.  I find the majority of their prices hover between $15-$25. The standouts for me? Their skin smoothing Brightening Facial Scrub for $14.99 and their Mandarin Orange Body Cream for $9.99 as it's a great hydrator and so easy to use when I don't have time to let a body oil absorb.

Organic Coconut Oil

Great for: makeup removal, face/body moisturizer, in scrubs, hair conditioning treatment and on and on...

Price range: $10-$15 depending on size

Coconut oil is my jam.  It's my makeup remover, body moisturizer, a huge ingredient in my homemade body scrub (turbinado sugar & coconut oil) my deep conditioning hair treatment and something I put in my smoothie every morning. Nutiva is my favorite brand mostly because I find it smells the most of coconut and I love that.  Other organic brands are just as great though, so find what you like.  $11

Need an excuse to get some new green skincare? Winter. SW Basics, Osmia Organics, Napa Organics & Alima Pure!

Looking for a good excuse to pick up a few new skincare and makeup products?  Winter.

These are some new products that I'm really excited about (almost type 'jazzed about' whew!)  Oh, and stick around for some fun discount codes from SW Basics and Napa Organics and little extra surprises from Osmia Organics!  This is going to be a two-parter because there's so many things I think you'll love this coming Winter season.

ALIMA PURE with Kristen Arnett

Me Encanta Collection - I recently hung out with Kristen Arnett (green beauty makeup artist, Instagram filter pro) in my dear olde East Village 'hood.  When she emailed me about her new makeup collaboration with Alima Pure called Me Encanta, I was giddy; yeah, I love makeup!  Inspired by beautiful flamenco dancers during a recent trip to Spain, this makeup collection is so much fun color-wise, I was so thrilled when I opened it up.

Me Encanta includes:

From top Sombra Contour, Pink Satin Matte Blush & Flamenco Shadow

Black Natural Definition Mascara - Now I haven't had the opportunity to fully test this mascara yet (I'm certain I'll have a review in the future), but I wore it yesterday (upper lashes only) and loved it. What I can talk about at this point is how much I love the brush.  You can get such nice control with it...excellent.  

Flamenco Limited Edition Eye Shadow -  A gorgeous, gorgeous navy mineral shadow.  This will be such a cool change from the typical black smoky eye.  It's deeper than the picture here...more like a midnight.  I'm so happy that Kristen chose a blue as opposed to going for the token brown or black.  This look so much less harsh than black and, in my opinion, makes creating a smoky eye so much easier. 

Sombra Contour Powder  - Kristen has got a video of how to apply Me Encanta makeup collection right here and I have to say a big thank you to her, because I was absolutely clueless about contouring before viewing.  This powder is really natural looking and it warmed up my face.  Oh, and I have a picture of me on my Instagram feed wearing the look, too!

Pink Satin Matte Blush -  I already have been raving about my Rosa blush by Alima Pure.  This blush, called Pink, is a matte and gorgeous pink that I imagine everyone could use.  It's a classic color and I love it.

Baila Lip Tint -  Smelling of rich cocoa, this lip tint is, in a word, luscious.  Truly.  This does not have a balm-like feel, but rather a juicy and smooth feel.  The color is a  warm brownish rose and goes on so smoothly, it feels like a dessert.  I can't wait to check other the other colors, too.  $50 for the collection.

SW BASICS

Cream - I've written about this several times, but I have a thing for repeating myself, so here goes. Sure, I could've just written about the mask, but I want you to have one of the best creams for Winter and this is it.  Honestly, your skin will never be softer than this.  Soft, creamy and so effective, this cream is perfect for the upcoming colder months.  It smells heavenly and again, has only three ingredients:  Fair Trade Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil and Olive Oil.  I give this out to friends like it's candy and everyone gets hooked on it.  Do yourself a favor.  $32 for a big jar!  

NAPA ORGANICS

Organic California Almond Oil  - This is a totally new company for me and the only problem with Napa Organics is that there name isn't all over the place yet.  Hilary Glass' family has been ranching in California since the 1880s.  This is a family-run business and everything is so natural and affordable, I'm excited to share this with ya'll.  I've been using their Almond Oil as a body moisturizer for the past week and it's gorgeous.  It's so pure and feels so wonderful on the skin.  There's just nothing like organic oil.  The thing that I also love about this is that so it's so multi-functional;  this can be used as an intensive hair conditioner, massage oil, body oil and, when applied lightly, a face oil.  $16  

Prune & Walnut Face Scrub -  Prunes (more antioxidant power than blueberries) are mixed with finely ground up walnut shell powder.  This product is a "booster" meaning that you can add it to your cleanser or mask to give yourself some extra brightening or exfoliation.  I love the idea of that.  This can also be mixed with the Organic Almond Oil above for a master hydrating and exfoliating party for your skin.  $12 for what I think is a jar that will last forever!  

OSMIA ORGANICS

Coffee Mint Soap - The first time I learned about Osmia was on Pinterest when I saw a picture of their soap.  I couldn't click quick enough to figure out what the gorgeous pattern was on the top of it.  I am now hooked.  After hearing about how it's made, the care and craft that goes into it, well as a girl who is a huge fan of homemade soap, it was a no-brainer.  I recently purchased three bars and started off using Coffee Mint.  Why am I recommending it?  Because it's a big, gorgeous bar o' soap that smells like mint and EXFOLIATES with fresh coffee.  I just love an exfoliating bar of soap.  $12

Night Body Oil - I fell in love with this immediately.  So much so that I emailed Sarah (creator of OO) and asked her what the heck was in this magnificent body oil.  Turns out that it's some of my favorites, lavender, roman chamomile and some wild atlas cedar.  This is so calming and pretty, I can't get enough of it.  In fact, I have it on my desk because there's a teensy little bit left in the bottle and I sniff it throughout the day.  Suggested use is before bed and I can understand why.  If I had to give it one adjective, I would use "peaceful."  2.0 oz. $20 / 7.5 oz. $65

*I was kindly gifted several of these products and happily purchased others.  My opinions are all my own.