Since I’ve made the commitment to eating healthier and becoming more conscious of what I put into my body, at some point I knew I would be changing what I put on my body, too. Being mindful of the desire to use healthier beauty products, I know that I’m not up for wasting a lot of money on products that promise one thing and not deliver. With that in mind, I know that I needed to find clean beauty products that perform would well and live up to their claims.
This revelation lead me to Follain, a local green beauty boutique in my area. Located in a hipster food co-op space, Follain features a pretty impressive range of clean beauty products from body and hair products to skin and makeup offerings. There is even a section for men and children, so there truly is something for everyone.
Not knowing exactly where to start, the Follain makeup artist on site gave me a mini tour of the small space. When I explained to her that I’m in the process of incorporating cleaner personal care products into my life, so she suggested a good way to delve into the world of green beauty is to start with a body product like a deodorant and she suggested switching out commercial body lotions for body oils. Well, she must have read my mind because I was actually in the market for a good body oil. I’ve always been into body oils, but grabbing any body oil without thinking about what kind of ingredients it contains is not good. Just like reading food labels, reading beauty product labels is just as important.
During our chat, the Follain makeup artist told me that before any of the products hit their shelves, each one goes through a rigorous testing process. The Follain staff members all test each product for efficacy and performance. I was glad to know that.
After testing a few of the body oils, I decided to purchase Farmaesthetics Midnight Honey Bath & Beauty Oil. An unheard of, at least to me, combination of oil and honey; this oil has a nice rich honey scent that’s not loud or offense. I like the texture of the oil because it’s not a heavy oil and not too greasy, either. It imparts a gorgeous sheen on the skin and it’s made with only three ingredients of soybean oil (certified organic), honey absolute, and vitamin E. The oil itself is a beautiful deep golden lemon yellow housed in a heavy frosted glass bottle with a pump.
As I took my time looking at each section of the store, from the body products to the facial and hair products, I moved over to the makeup counter. Popular green beauty lines, like RMS Beauty and W3LL People can be found there. The makeup artist let me know that their color options are limited for the time being, but they will add more makeup products over time.
I couldn’t leave without trying any of the makeup, so I turned my attention towards the RMS Beauty line. The first product I picked up was called Lip2Cheek. A coconut oil-based, mulitpurpose product; I chose a color called Diabolique. This can be used on the lips and cheeks as the name suggests. The ingredients are so pure that it could also be used as an eye shadow as that was explained to me. I was impressed by how pigmented the Lip2Cheek was. Diabolique is a beautiful deep rich burgundy that can work on all skin tones. I was also surprised at how much product is actually packed into the small frosted glass jar. As soon as I got in my car, I tried the color on my lips. It sat comfortably on my lips because the cream texture is amazing. I have oily skin and a did dot what was left on my finger onto my cheeks for color and I liked it. I don’t do so well with cream blushes unless they dry down to a powder, but this Lip2Cheek product didn’t go greasy on my face, which is what I like. So, to me, you definitely get your money’s worth.
As a note, if you’re a price-conscious shopper and you’re seeking to replace your commercial beauty products with green beauty products, be warned that there can be a bit of sticker shock involved. Since a lot of the products featured contain ethically sourced natural ingredients, you’re going to pay a little more if not the same amount of money for some green products as you would of the commercial products you’re currently using. But to me, you can’t put a price on being healthier.
Overall, I am quite satisfied with my purchases. The experience there was pleasant and no pressure to buy and the ability to look at my leisure was a bonus. I’ll be visiting again soon.
Photos: The Glow Goddess